Carol Stream, Ill. – The Thunder baseball team opened the home portion of its 2019 schedule on Friday night with an 8-2 victory against Concordia-Moorhead in the final game of the first day at the Wheaton Round Robin Tournament. Wheaton faces St. Mary's (Minn.) at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday and the tournament concludes tomorrow at 5:00 p.m. when the Thunder hosts Concordia-Chicago. Saturday's opening game features Concordia-Chicago against Concordia-Moorhead at 11:00 a.m.
 
The Thunder earned the 8-2 victory against Concordia Moorhead under cold conditions at Pfund Stadium. Wheaton scored eight runs, on 13 hits, with no errors and the Cobbers scored two runs, on six hits, with one error.

Thunder starting pitcher Christian Bolhuis (3-1) earned the win in five innings. Bolhuis (PICTURED LEFT) allowed two runs, on six hits, with three walks and seven strikeouts. Freshman Kevin Champlin picked up his second save of the season in four scoreless innings of relief. Champlin recorded 12-consecutive outs, including six strikeouts of the 12 batters he faced. The rookie held the Cobbers hitless in the flawless performance.

Thunder shortstop Noah Ritchie was 4-for-4 at the plate, including two doubles. Evan Ogden was 2-for-5, with two RBI and a run scored. Brett Albaugh scored a pair of runs and hit a triple for the hosts tonight.
 
The Cobbers scored a run in the top of the second inning to gain an early 1-0 lead. Thunder senior Ben Brittain led off the bottom of the second inning with a single through the middle of the infield. Brittain scored two batters later on a double down the right field line by Ritchie, tying the game at 1-1.

Wheaton added a run early in the third inning to take a 2-1 lead. Albaugh led off the inning with a triple to right field and he scored on the next at bat when Joel Pierce drove him home on a single through the left side of the infield. The Thunder added another run in the bottom of the fourth inning to extend the lead to 3-1. A Concordia error on a double-steal allowed Luke Roudabush to score for the hosts.

The Cobbers scored a run in the top of the fifth inning to trim Wheaton's lead to 3-2. Wheaton extended its lead to 5-2 with a pair of runs in the bottom of the fifth inning as Sam Reichert hit a RBI-single and Ritchie hit his second RBI-double of the game in the inning.

Wheaton added three runs in the bottom of the eighth to account for the 8-2 final score. Ogden hit a two-run single in the inning and Nick Mailman drove in a run with a sacrifice hit.