Waukesha, Wis. – The Thunder baseball team traveled to Wisconsin for a CCIW doubleheader at Carroll University (16-16, 10-14 CCIW) on Wednesday afternoon. The Thunder swept the Pioneers in the twinbill with a 12-9 victory in the first game and Wheaton earned a 6-4 victory in the second game. Wheaton is now 11-19 on the season, with a 7-15 record in CCIW play.
 
Wheaton won the opener today, 12-6 as the Thunder scored 12 runs, on 14 hits, with two errors and Carroll plated nine runs, on 12 hits, with zero errors. Thunder starting pitcher Brendan Dyer (3-3) earned the win in 6-2/3 innings of work. Dyer allowed nine runs, including seven earned runs, on 12 hits, with four strikeouts and one walk. Joe Klein worked 1/3 of an inning on the mound, striking out one batter in the bottom of the seventh inning to secure the win for the Thunder.
 
Jesse Welch (PICTURED AT LEFT) had a huge offensive effort in game one as he was 4-for-5, with four RBI and three runs scored. Welch hit a double and a home run for the guests. Junior Matthias Haggerty was 2-for-3, with a double, two runs scored and a RBI. Noah Ritchie drove in four runs, on a 2-for-3 effort at the plate. Catcher Tyler Weiner was 2-for-4, with a RBI and a run scored.
 
Each team scored one run in the first inning. Ben Weaver hit a two-out solo home run in the top of the first to account for Wheaton's first run. Wheaton gained a 3-1 lead with two runs in the top of the third inning as Jesse Welch and Noah Ritchie each hit RBI-singles in the third inning for the guests. Carroll tallied two runs in the bottom of the third inning to tie the game at 3-3.
 
Wheaton added a run in the top of the fourth inning to take a 4-3 lead. A RBI-single by Weiner gave Wheaton its one-run lead. The Thunder extended the lead to 7-3 by scoring three runs in the top of the fifth inning. Ritchie hit a two-run single in the third at bat of the inning and Haggerty's RBI-double drove Ritchie home for Wheaton's third run of the inning. Carroll scored twice in the bottom of the fifth inning to trim the Thunder lead to 7-5. A Ritchie sacrifice fly in the top of the sixth inning drove in another Thunder run to extend Wheaton's lead to 8-5.
 
Haggerty and Graham Core opened the top of the seventh inning with walks. The duo each advanced a base on a sacrifice bunt by Mason Packwood. Wheaton took another out following Packwood's sacrifice as Harrison Stanton came up to the plate with Haggerty at third base and Core at second. Stanton hit a single to leftfield that brought Haggerty home and advanced Core to third base. Welch followed in the next at bat with a three-run home run to extend the Thunder lead to 12-5. Carroll scored four runs in the bottom of the seventh to trim Wheaton's lead to 12-9, but Klein and the Thunder stopped the Pioneers' rally to give the guests the win.
 
The Thunder won today's nightcap 6-4. The Thunder scored six runs in the second game, with eight hits, and two errors, while the Pioneers scored four runs, on eight hits, with three errors.
 
Klein earned the win in two innings, he allowed two runs, on two hits, with three walks and one strikeout. Jacob Rans pitched three innings of relief, allowing one runs, on two hits, with three strikeouts and two walks. Alex Hanvey tossed two innings of relief, with two runs allowed, including one earned run, on two hits with three strikeouts and two walks. Mason Packwood pitched an inning of scoreless relief, allowing one hit. Bjorn Bostrom worked one inning of scoreless relief, with one hit allowed to earn the save.
 
Haggerty was 3-for-4 in the nightcap with a home run, two runs scored and two runs driven in. Ritchie (PICTURED RIGHT) was 2-for-4, with a run scored and one RBI.
 
The Thunder reached the scoreboard early with one run in the top of the first. Stanton drew a leadoff walk and he scored and he scored three batters later on a RBI-single by Ritchie to give the Thunder a 1-0 lead. Carroll added a run in the bottom of the second inning to tie the game at 1-1.
 
Wheaton added three runs in the top of the fourth inning to take a 4-1 lead. The key hit in the three-run inning was a RBI-single by catcher Clayton Moore. The Pioneers scored a run in the bottom of the fifth inning to cut Wheaton's lead to 4-2 and the hosts added another run in the bottom of the sixth to cut the Thunder lead to one run at 4-3.
 
Haggerty hit a two-run home run in the top of the seventh inning to increase Wheaton's lead to 6-3. Carroll added one run in the bottom of the seventh inning to cut the Thunder advantage to 6-4. Packwood and Bostrom held the Pioneers' scoreless in the final two innings as Wheaton completed the sweep.
 
Wheaton faces No. 11 North Central in a three-game series this weekend. The Thunder will host the Cardinals on Friday at Lee Pfund Stadium in a 6:00 p.m. first pitch. North Central entertains Wheaton for a doubleheader on Saturday, with game one starting at 1:00 p.m.