Bloomington, Ill. - The Wheaton softball team opened up its participation in the four-team CCIW Softball Tournament on Friday. The No. 1 seed Illinois Wesleyan Titans defeated the fourth-seeded Thunder 2-0. Wheaton defeated No. 3 seed North Central 5-0 in the tournament's first elimination game. Wheaton resumes action on Saturday at 10:00 a.m. in the second elimination game of the weekend.

Illinois Wesleyan topped Wheaton 2-0 today in the opening round as the Titans scored two runs, on seven hits, with two errors and Wheaton scored zero runs, on three hits, with two errors. Thunder starting pitcher Ashley Carter worked six innings in the circle as she allowed two runs, on seven hits, with one walk and three strikeouts. Senior JKelly Thornton tallied two of Wheaton's three hits in the game, including a double.Carter added a single to help her own cause in the outing.

The Titans reached the scoreboard early with one run in the bottom of the first inning. Illinois Wesleyan extended its lead to 2-0 in the bottom of the fifth inning as the hosts added an insurance run.

Wheaton defeated North Central 5-0 in the first elimination game of the tournament. The Thunder scored five runs on eight hits with no errors while North Central had no runs, on six hits, with three errors. Thornton pitched seven innings, scatterin six hits, with three strikeouts. Centerfielder Hannah Clark was 3-for-4 at the plate with two runs scored. 

Clark led off the bottom of the first inning with a triple and she scored on a sacrifice fly by Maddie Craver to give Wheaton a 1-0 lead. Wheaton added two runs in the bottom of the fourth inning as Morgan Ryan hit a RBI-single and Sophie Kent drove in a run with a RBI-double to extend the Thunder lead to 3-0. Wheaton scored twice in the bottom of the fifth inning to extend its lead to 5-0 as Thornton drove in a run in the game.