Clermont, Fla. -- In the second-to-last day of its spring break trip, the Wheaton Thunder softball team went 2-0, earning a 5-4  victory over Simpson College before defeating Worcester State University 11-1 in five innings. The pair of wins moves the Thunder to 5-3 on their young season, with two contests remaining at The Spring Games in Florida.

In game one against Simpson, the Storm jumped on the board right away in the first inning and held a 3-0 lead heading into the bottom of the fifth before Wheaton's bats came alive. Hannah Clark led off the inning with a single to center and moved to second when Jeanette Oh drew a walk. Kelly Thornton then reached on an error, and the Thunder found themselves with bases loaded, no outs and a string of singles on the way. Clark scored on an Ashley Carter single to left field, Oh scored on a one-out single to center from Maddie Craver, and Thornton scored on a Melissa Meiners single to left center. Claire Busch drove in Carter and reached first because of an error by the Storm's third baseman, and Melody Rodriguez helped Wheaton cap off their scoring for the inning by driving in Craver on a sacrifice fly to right field.

Simpson regained one run in the top of the sixth and threatened again in the seventh: with just one out and runners on second and third, the Storm tried to execute a squeeze play at home to tie the game. However, the attempted bunt popped up toward first space, Meiners snagged it for the second out and fired to Busch at third to pick off the runner for a game-ending double play.

Wheaton scored its five runs on nine hits and committed just one defensive error, while Simpson scored its four runs on eight hits with one error.

Carter started in the circle for the Thunder and pitched three full innings, allowing two runs (one earned) on two hits with five walks and one strikeout. Oh pitched the remaining four innings and got the win for Wheaton, giving up two runs (one earned) on six hits with four strikeouts and two walks.

At the plate, Craver went 2-for-2 and Carter went 2-for-4, and each added a run and an RBI.

In the second game of the day, the Thunder earned an 11-1 win over Worcester thanks to six hits, 11 walks and three Lancer errors. After a one-out single from Thornton, four straight Thunder batters walked to score two runs and force a WSU pitching change. Busch then singled to center to drive in Ryan before Sophie Kent drew another walk to score Craver, and Hannah Clark capped off the five-run inning with a sacrifice fly to center that scored Meiners.

Worcester scored its one run in the bottom of the first, but Wheaton answered again with one run in the second, two in the third, and three in the fourth, highlighted by senior Hannah Clark's first career home run to deep center field. Overall in the contest, the Thunder were led by Thornton, who went 2-for-3 with a double, two runs and three RBI, and Busch, who also went 2-for-3 with a run and an RBI. Oh and and Carter each drew three walks in the ballgame.

Thornton threw all five innings for Wheaton, allowing five hits with three strikeouts and two walks.

The Thunder wrap up their spring break trip tomorrow with an afternoon game against Clarkson University (3:45 p.m. EDT) followed by a nightcap under the lights against the University of Dubuque (6:00 p.m. EDT). Wheaton's home opener is scheduled for next Wednesday, March 20, against Aurora University at Ruth Leedy Field.