Clermont, Fla. – The Wheaton softball team split a pair of games Thursday in its second-to-last day of competition at The Spring Games in Florida. In the first game of the afternoon, against the University of Mount Union, the Thunder fell 12-4 to the Raiders in five innings; in the nightcap, Wheaton defeated Lake Forest College with a walk-off win, 6-5 in eight innings.
 
Against Mount Union, Wheaton's offense was relatively quiet, as the Thunder recorded just three hits and three RBI en route to four runs. Conversely, the Raiders recorded 12 hits to tally their 12 runs. Both teams also had one defensive error each.
 
Wheaton jumped on the scoreboard first, with two runs in the top of the first inning. Janette Oh led off the game with walk and then advanced to second on a single from Ashley Carter. After both runners advanced on an infield fly, Oh scored on a wild pitch, and then Carter scored on a groundout from Busch.
 
Mount Union immediately answered, however, scoring three runs in the bottom of the first, six in the second, and two in the third before the Thunder could get on the board again. Gist and Busch hit back-to-back singles to start the top of the fourth, and a few batters later and with two outs, Sydney Heinrich walked to load the bases, allowing Elle Lindblad to drive in two runs thanks to Raiders throwing error at third base.
 
Despite that rally to keep the game alive, the Raiders scored again two frames later to widen their lead to eight runs, ending the game after five innings.
 
Wheaton utilized three pitchers in the contest. Ashley Carter took the loss for the Thunder, facing 12 batters in one inning, and giving up five hits, seven runs (six earned), and three walks. Maddy Whitmer tossed 1.1 innings, facing 10 batters and allowing five hits, four runs and one walk, while Elise O'Neil threw the remaining 2.1 innings, facing 10 batters and allowing three hits and three runs.
 
At the plate for the Thunder, Busch led the way, going 1-for-2 with a run and an RBI. Carter and Gist each went 1-for-3 with a run.
 
Against fellow Chicagoland school Lake Forest, Wheaton rallied from down 3-0 to take a 5-1 lead, and then held on through a Foresters comeback to force extra innings before winning the game with a walk-off single.
 
Five of Wheaton's six runs came in the bottom of the second inning. Carter led off the frame with a single followed by a stolen base. A single from O'Neil moved Carter to third, and a third-straight single—this one from Melody Rodriguez—brought Carter home. Two batters later, the Thunder put together a two-out rally: Maddy Bonetto singled to load the bases, Oh walked in a run (O'Neil), Busch reached safely and drove in Rodriguez thanks to a Foresters fielding error, and Gist tacked on two more runs (Oh and Bonetto) with a double to center field.
 
Lake Forest tied the game in the top of the fourth inning, and after three more scoreless frames, the game headed to the eighth with international tie breaker rules in place – meaning each team started their half-inning with a runner on second base. Despite the Foresters' first batter moving the runner with a sacrifice bunt, Wheaton was able to get three straight outs to hold Lake Forest scoreless. Then, in the bottom half of the eighth and with Gist starting on second base, Carter needed only three pitches to loft a single into the right-centerfield gap and score Gist for the win.
 
Carter's 2-for-4 night (with one run, one RBI and one stolen base) was an offensive highlight for Wheaton. Additionally, Bonetto went 1-for-2 with a run and a walk, Rodriguez was 1-for-3 with a run and an RBI, O'Neil went 1-for-3 with a run, and Gist went 1-for-4 with a double, one run, and two RBI.

Gist also threw a complete game in the circle for the Thunder, facing 36 batters and allowing nine hits, five runs, two walks and three strikeouts.
 
Wheaton will wrap up its 2020 spring break trip on Friday with two midday matches at Hancock Park in Clermont. The Thunder are scheduled to take on Dominican University at 11:15 a.m. (EDT) and Penn State University-Behrend at 1:30 p.m. (EDT).