Carol Stream, Ill. - A late rally fell just short for the Thunder baseball team on Saturday night in the nightcap of a split doubleheader at Lee Pfund Stadium. With the 6-5 loss to St. Norbert College, Wheaton wraps up its opening weekend with a record of 1-2. Wheaton will continue its season-opening homestand next weekend when the Thunder host Calvin University at 5 pm on Friday and Saturday and University of Chicago at 11 am on Saturday.

Wheaton's five runs came on 14 hits with two errors while the Green Knights played six runs on nine hits with no errors. Four Thunder pitchers combined to cover the game led by Alex Hanvey who struck out five batters in two innings of scoreless relief.

St. Norbert struck quickly, pushing across two runs in the top of the first inning, but Thunder starting pitcher Jacob Garrity limited the damage by stranding the bases loaded with an inning-ending strikeout. Garrity would surrender five runs in six innings of work on the mound with two strikeouts.

Wheaton pulled even in the bottom of the third inning when three straight singles led to two runs with the tying run coming home on Sam Reichert's two-out single. Two innings later, Matthias Haggerty led off the bottom of the fifth with a double to left and came in to score two batters later on Graham Core's sacrifice fly. Reichert followed with another single plating Ben Weaver to put Wheaton ahead 4-2.

The Green Knights responded in the top of the sixth inning with three runs and added another run in the top of the ninth inning to build a 6-4 lead. Wheaton put the tying runs on base with one out singles by Weaver and Core in the bottom of the ninth inning. Two batters later, Joel Pierce singled to right-center to bring home Weaver with Wheaton's fifth run, however, Core was thrown out trying to advance to third on the play bringing the rally and game to a close with a 6-5 final score.

Ben Weaver paced the Thunder offense with three hits and two runs scored and a stolen base. Matthias Haggerty doubled as part of a two-hit, two-run performance. Tyler Weiner and Sam Reichert each finished with two hits with Reichert driving in two runs in the process.