PICTURED ABOVE: Melody Rodriguez was 3-for-4 with five RBI in Friday's 16-5 victory against Benedictine.
Wheaton, Ill. – The Thunder softball team completed its doubleheader Friday that started Thursday when the opening game was halted due to snow. Benedictine led 8-0 in the top of the third inning of game one when play was stopped and the Eagles picked up a 13-2 victory in five innings to secure the win in the opener. Wheaton rebounded to win the second game 16-5 in five innings.
Wheaton won the finale 16-5 as the Thunder scored 16 runs, on 17 hits, with no errors and Benedictine tallied five runs, on eight hits, with one error. Thunder starting pitcher
Kelly Thornton pitched 2-2/3 innings, allowing five runs, on six hits, with two walks and two strikeouts. Senior
Kendall Kehres earned the win in 2-1/3 innings of relief. Kehres held the Eagles scoreless, on two hits with one strikeout.
Thunder catcher
Melody Rodriguez was 3-for-4 with a double, driving in five runs. Junior shortstop
Hannah Clark (PICTURED LEFT) was 3-for-4 with a double in the win, scoring three times, with two RBI. Centerfielder
Julia Arthur was 2-for-2, scoring once.
Maddy Bonetto had a 2-for-2 outing at the plate, driving in three runs.
Megan Neuhaus was 2-for-3, driving in a pair of runs and scoring three times. Neuhuas added a double for the hosts.
Beka Behrens was 2-for-3 at the plate, scoring once, with a RBI.
Kelly Thornton had a 2-for-3 outing, with a walk. Thornton hit a double, scored three times and drove in two runs.
Wheaton scored four runs in the bottom of the first inning to take the early 4-0 lead. Neuhaus hit a RBI-double with a RBI-single for Bonetto and a RBI-double by Behrens. The Thunder added four more runs in the bottom of the second inning to take an 8-0 lead. Rodriguez and Bonetto each hit two-run singles in the second inning to aid the Thunder scoring.
The Eagles rallied with five runs in the top of the third inning to cut the hosts' lead to 8-5. Rodriguez hit a double with the bases loaded in the third inning to drive in three runs as Wheaton extended its lead to 11-5 at the end of the third inning.
Wheaton added five more runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to account for the 16-5 victory.
Ali Kent drove in a run with a bunt on a fielder's choice early in the inning. Clark hit a two-run double and Thornton tallied a two-run double to continue the scoring for the Thunder.
The Eagles won the delayed first game 13-2. Benedictine scored 13 runs, on 17 hits, with no errors and Wheaton registered two runs, on four hits, with five errors. Kehres took the loss in 2-2/3 innings. She allowed nine runs, including one earned run, on 10 hits. Reliever
Maddy Whitmer pitched 2-1/3 innings of relief, allowing four runs, including two earned runs, on seven hits.
Thornton was 2-for-2 in the opener. Bonetto hit a home run in the contest and Neuhaus added a double.
Benedictine scored twice in the second inning and eight runs in the top of the third to lead 10-0 after three innings. The Eagles added a run in the top of the fourth inning and scored two more times in the top of the fifth. Bonetto belted a two-run home run in the bottom of the fifth inning for the Thunder.
Wheaton hosts Carroll on Tuesday, April 10 for a CCIW doubleheader at 3:00 p.m.
