Wheaton, Ill. – The Thunder softball team (9-10, 6-7 CCIW) hosted North Park (11-7, 5-7 CCIW) in a conference doubleheader at Ruth Leedy field on Monday. In game one, the Vikings defeated Wheaton 9-4 in seven innings. Game two was halted after seven innings due to darkness with the score tied 4-4.
 
North Park won the first game behind nine runs on seven hits with two errors in the field. Wheaton managed four runs on nine hits and committed three errors. Emilie Gist, the Thunder starting pitcher, tossed seven innings, allowing six earned runs on seven hits with nine strikeouts. Gist was 2-for-4 at the plate with a double and a single. Sarah Major (PICTURED ABOVE) went 2-for-2 on the day, including a double and an RBI single. Claire Busch and Melissa Meiners each drove in one run for the Thunder.
 
The Vikings took a 2-0 lead after the top of the first inning, but the Thunder managed a run of their own in the bottom of the frame. Ashley Carter led off the inning with a double and Busch singled her home to bring the score to 2-1 after the first. In the bottom of the second inning, Paige Andrews singled to start things off for Wheaton. Madison Forberg then laid down a sacrifice bunt to move the runner to second, and Major hit her home on a single to centerfield to tie the game at 2-2.
 
In the top of the third inning, North Park scored three runs on two hits, including a two-run homerun by starting pitcher Alyssa Malicki. The Vikings held onto the 5-2 lead until the bottom of the fifth inning, when the Thunder scored another run to decrease the deficit. Alex Hilton led off the inning with a single and Gist doubled on the next play. Meiners sent a sacrifice fly into centerfield that scored Hilton and brought the score to 5-3.
 
In the sixth inning, each team scored a run to bring the score to 6-4.  North Park earned theirs on an RBI double, while the Thunder scored on a throwing error by the visitors. In the top of the seventh inning, the Vikings put the game away, scoring three runs on two hits and benefitting from a fielding error and a wild pitch by the Thunder. Wheaton was unable to score in the bottom of the seventh inning and the game ended as a 9-4 victory for North Park.
 
Game two was tied 4-4 when it was halted in the seventh inning due to darkness. The date to resume the game has not been determined.
 
Alese Antonello started the game for the Thunder and pitched 4-2/3 innings. She allowed four runs on eight hits and struck out one visiting batter. Carter (PICTURED LEFT) pitched 2-1/3 innings in relief and held North Park scoreless with three strikeouts. Carter was 3-for-3 with two RBIs and two runs scored off of two singles and a double. Meiners and Andrews each drove in a run in game two.
 
The Thunder scored in their first trip to the plate in the top of the first inning when Andrews singled home Carter, who had advanced to third on two fielder's choice plays after reaching on a walk. Carter and Meiners both doubled in the top of the third inning to give Wheaton another run and move the score to 2-0.
 
The Vikings came to life in the bottom of the third inning and scattered six hits in the frame, scoring four runs in the process. Now trailing 4-2, Wheaton added a run in the top of the fourth inning off an RBI single by Carter.
 
After one and a half scoreless innings, the Thunder tied the game in the top of the sixth. Major tripled to get the Thunder going, and Carter hit an RBI single to bring the score to 4-4. Neither team could muster another run in the remaining inning and a half before the game was halted due to darkness after seven innings of play.
 
Wheaton returns to action on Thursday, April 15 in Waukesha, Wisconsin. The CCIW twinbill against the Carroll Pioneers is set to start at 3:00 p.m.