GAME STATS 1 | GAME STATS 2 O'Fallon, Ill. - An early offensive outburst set the tone for the Thunder baseball team in an 11-3 rout of Loras College on Friday afternoon in the season opener for both clubs. Wheaton connected on eight extra base hits including three home runs in posting the program's highest offensive output in a season opener since Wheaton scored 15 runs in a win over the Coast Guard Academy to open the 2012 season. Wheaton closed the doubleheader with a 10-6 victory in the nightcap to start the season 2-0.

Wheaton's offense scored its 11 runs on 15 hits with two defensive errors while Loras scored three runs on eight hits with two errors. Christian Bolhuis earned the win for Wheaton, throwing six innings and allowing three unearned runs while walking two and striking out five. Jacob Garrity provided a scoreless inning of relief and Jacob Cassel finished the game with two scoreless innings of relief.

The Thunder wasted no time getting the offense going when Sam Reichert led off the top of the second inning with a double. Two batters later, Mason Packwood laced a ground-rule double to plate the Thunder catch and give the Thunder the quick 1-0 lead. Two batters later, Graham Core singled home Packwood and a subsequent wild pitch allowed Noah Ritchie to trot home for a 3-0 Thunder lead. With the bases loaded and two outs, Joel Pierce promptly emptied the bags with a grand slam to left field that pushed Wheaton's lead to 7-0.

Loras closed the gap in the bottom of the fourth inning when a fielding error by the Thunder opened the door for three unanswered runs. Wheaton answered with a run in the top of the fifth inning and put the game out of reach in the top of the sixth with Reichert and Connor Hartman connected on back-to-back solo home runs, both coming with two strikes, to push the lead to 10-3. Wheaton would tack on another insurance run in the top of the seventh inning to account for the final score of 11-3.

Mason Packwood helped pace a balanced Thunder offensive attack, doubling three times in his collegiate debut. Sam Reichert doubled twice and added a home run for three extra-base hits. Graham Core also added three of Wheaton's 15 hits as all nine Thunder starters scored a run in the victory.

Loras took the initial lead in the nightcap on a solo home run in the top of the second inning only, but Wheaton answered with a run in the bottom of the fourth inning when Reichert scored on a passed ball.

Again it was the big inning that broke the game Wheaton's way after Wheaton opened the bottom of the fifth inning with walks drawn by Brett Albaugh and Matthias Haggerty. Pierce broke the tie with an RBI single before singles by Reicert and Noah Ritchie led to a four-run inning, staking Wheaton to a 5-1 lead. After Loras chipped into the lead with an unearned run in the top of the seventh, Wheaton answered with five more runs in the bottom of the inning highlighted by an RBI double by Jesse Welch.

The Duhawks closed the gap with four unearned runs in the top of the eighth inning to pull within 10-6 and put the first two runners on board to lead off the ninth inning, but Christian Gibbs got out of trouble with a double play ball to close out the victory.

Sam Reichert, Jesse Welch, and Noah Ritchie each registered multi-hit games with Reichert scoring three runs and Ritchie driving in two. Kevin Champlin earned the win on the mound, surrendering three runs, one earned, in six innings of work and striking out seven. Caleb Downing worked an inning with two strikeouts and one unearned run allowed and Matt Abruzzo surrendered four unearned runs in an inning of work before Gibbs worked a scoreless ninth.

Wheaton will close out its weekend with a 10:30 am game on Saturday morning against Greenville College.