Decatur, Ill. - An outstanding pitcher's duel went the way of the home team on Monday night as the Millikin Big Blue won the rubber match of a three-game series against the Thunder baseball team. The 3-0 loss drops Wheaton to 12-5 on the season and 2-2 in the CCIW. Millikin is now 7-9 overall and also 2-2 in the CCIW. Wheaton will be back in action on Tuesday afternoon when the Thunder host Carthage for a CCIW doubleheader beginning at 2 pm at Lee Pfund Stadium.

Both teams tallied seven hits in Monday's game with the Thunder making one error and Millikin turning in a clean defensive performance. Thunder starter Christian Bolhuis held the Big Blue to one run over seven innings of work while scattering five hits. Ben Williamson allowed all seven Thunder hits while striking out six in 8.2 innings of work.

The Big Blue took advantage of a leadoff hit by pitch to manufacture their first run of the game using a sacrifice bunt and later a double steal to set up a sacrifice fly to take a 1-0 lead.

Wheaton narrowly missed tying the game in the top of the fourth inning when Joel Pierce drove a double off the wall in left-center that came a foot shy of scraping over for a home run. Pierce would move to third on a ground out where he would be stranded.

Pierce started a two-out rally in the top of the sixth inning with a bunt single and moved to second on an infield single by Evan Ogden. Ben Brittain followed with a line drive to deep right-center field that was tracked down on a diving catch by Millikin's Frank Bryan, saving two runs and keeping Millikin in the lead.
 
Bryan struck again in the bottom of the eighth inning with a two-run home run to left field to give the Big Blue some breathing room and the final tally of 3-0.