Carol Stream, Ill. - A seven-run rally in the bottom of the seventh inning of game two pushed the Thunder baseball team to a doubleheader sweep of Carroll University on Saturday afternoon. The Thunder won game one by a score of 6-4 before taking the night cap from the Pioneers 12-8. Both teams finish the day with a 4-4 overall record with Pioneers now 0-3 in conference play while Wheaton opens the year 2-0 against conference foe. Wheaton will next be in action on Tuesday with the Thunder host Aurora University.

Wheaton's six runs in the lidlifter came on 10 hits with one error while Carroll's four runs came off 12 hits with no errors. In game two Wheaton plated 12 runs on 13 hits with one error while the Pioneers pushed across eight runs on 10 hits with two errors.

After a pair of couples in the top of the third inning gave Carroll the early lead, Wheaton answered immediately in the bottom of the third inning with a two-out, two-run double by Noah Ritchie to put Wheaton ahead 2-1. Carroll pulled even with a run in the top of the fifth and once again, Wheaton wasted no time in answering and again it was Ritchie striking the big blow, clearing the bases with another double, bringing his RBI total to five. Ritchie scored two batters later on a double by Mason Packwood to put Wheaton ahead 6-2.

Carroll pushed across two runs in the top of the seventh inning to pull within 6-4 and threatened to further close the gap, but AJ Dhus shut down the Pioneer rally out of the bullpen to strand the tying runs on base and pitch Wheaton to the finish line for the win. Kevin Champlin earned the victory on the mound, allowing two runs on eight hits in five innings of work and striking out five. Dhus closed the door for his second save, throwing three shutout innings and allowing just one hit with two strikeouts.

Packwood drove in Wheaton's first run of game two with a bases loaded hit by pitch in the bottom of the first and Wheaton added two more runs in the bottom of the second inning to pull ahead 3-2 following an RBI double by Cale Lewis. Carroll pulled back in front in the top of the fourth by pushing across four runs with two outs to lead 6-2. An RBI double by Graham Core in the bottom of the inning and a triple by Ben Weaver pulled Wheaton back to within 6-5 after four innings.

The Pioneers tacked on a run in the top of the fifth inning to take a 7-5 lead, setting up Wheaton's seventh inning rally that saw the Thunder push across seven runs on four hits and take advantage of five Carroll walks in the inning. Matthias Haggerty struck the decisive blow in the inning with a tie-breaking two-run single through the left side.

Alex Hanvey pitched Wheaton out of a bases loaded jam in the top of the eighth inning and followed with a perfect ninth inning of work to earn the save. John McCraith earned his first collegiate win with one run allowed over 1.1 innings of relief work. Jacob Garrity struck out five batters in 3.2 innings of work to start the game before yielding to Bjorn Bostrom who allowed only one unearned run in 2.1 innings.

Matthias Haggerty led the Thunder offense with five hits in the doubleheader including three runs driven in. Tyler Weiner, Graham Core, and Cale Lewis also recorded multi-hit games in the nightcap. In game one, Jesse Welch belted three hits with Ben Weaver and Noah Ritchie adding a pair of hits each.