Lookout Mountain, Ga. - After waiting an extra day to kickoff its 2019 campaign, the Thunder baseball team swept a doubleheader at Covenant College by scores of 3-1 and 9-7. Entering the game on a seven-game winning streak, Covenant drops to 7-3 on the season. Wheaton will sport a 2-0 record when the Thunder head to Fort Pierce, Florida, for its annual spring break trip, kicking off with a doubleheader against Norwich on Saturday, March 9.

The extra day of waiting led to a breakout offensive performance in the top of the first inning of game one. After working a full count, Nick Mailman was hit by a pitch and moved to second on Brett Albaugh's single. Two batters later, Evan Ogden roped a double to left filed scoring both runners. Ogden would moved to third on a single by Ben Brittain and come in to score on an RBI groundout by Sam Reichert.

That would prove to be the only offense Wheaton starter Michael McCraith would need. McCraith struck out eight of the first nine hitters he faced and did not allow a runner until a one-out single in the bottom of the fourth inning. A walk three batters later provided the Scots their only multi-runner inning against McCraith, who quickly ended the inning with a strikeout. McCraith lasted seven innings, striking out 15 batters while surrendering just one hit and two walks.

Wheaton's offense was also held in check, with the Thunder failing to get a runner into scoring position until a two-out double by Joel Pierce in the top of the eighth inning. Covenant finally got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the eighth inning on a one-out single off of Thunder reliever Sam Arnold. Arnold recorded the first two outs of the inning but was forced to yield to Kevin Champlin. Making his collegiate debut with the bases loaded and facing the Covenant clean-up hitter, Champlin responded by freezing Alex Gonzalez for a strike out looking to end the inning.

After the Thunder failed to take advantage of a rally in the top of the ninth, Champlin slammed the door in the bottom half thanks to a baserunner interference call leading to a double play, striking out Jonah Carignan to record his first career save.

Evan Ogden led the Thunder offense as one of three players with a multi-hit game. Ogden drove in two runs on two hits with a double and a run scored. Ben Brittain walked and added two hits and Sam Reichert drove in a run on two hits.

The nightcap turned into a back and forth affair throughout the game with Covenant answering Wheaton's run in the top of the second inning on a bases-loaded hi by pitch to Mathias Haggerty with two of its own in the home half of the inning. Wheaton tied the game in the top of the fourth inning when a sacrifice fly by AJ Dhus plated Ben Brittain. Later in the inning, Haggerty singled to center to bring home Graham Core giving Wheaton a 3-2 lead.

Covenant pulled even on a throwing error in the bottom of the fourth inning and jumped out to a 5-3 lead in the bottom of the fifth inning on a two-run triple by Alex Gonzalez. Wheaton rallied with two outs in the top of the sixth inning, using back to back walks to Haggerty and Caleb Grotelueschen to set the table for Nick Mailman's three-run home run, staking Wheaton to a 6-5 lead. Brett Albaugh followed with a single, stole second base and later came in to score on Ogden's RBI single.

Sam Reichert pushed Wheaton's lead to 8-5 when he led off the top of the seventh inning with a solo home run, but Covenant rallied again, pushing across two runs in the bottom of the inning to pull to within 8-7. Brittain added an insurance run fo the Thunder in the top of the eighth inning, driving a deep double to right field to score Noah Ritchie after Ritchie stole second base.

Caleb Selk threw a scoreless eighth and ninth innings to earn the win on the mound in four innings of relief, surrendering two runs and three walks while striking out three. Christian Bolhuis allowed five runs, four earned, in five innings of work, walking five and allowing four hits.

Brittain tallied three hits in the nightcap, driving in a run and scoring a run. Mailman plated three runs with his home run and Haggerty drove in a pair. Evan Ogden tallied two hits including a double.