Carol Stream, Ill. - The Wheaton baseball team hosted Augustana on Friday night in a CCIW matchup at Lee Pfund Stadium. The Vikings utilized an offensive outburst in the second inning to top the Thunder 18-3. Wheaton (6-12, 4-10 CCIW) and Augustana (15-3, 7-3 CCIW) are scheduled for a doubleheader on Saturday in Moline, Illinois.

Augustana scored 18 runs, on 15 hits, with two errors and Wheaton plated three runs, on five hits, with two errors.

Kevin Camplin (2-2) pitched 1-2/3 innings for the Thunder as he allowed eight runs, including six earned runs. Champlin scattered seven hits with two walks. John McCraith allowed two runs, on one hit, with one walk. Lucas Konopinski allowed two runs, on two walks. A.J. Dhus pitched 1/3 of an inning of relief, allowing four runs, on four hits. Caleb VanKerkhoff pitched two innings, allowing one run, on three hits. Jacob Rans tossed two innings of scoreless relief. Nate Barker allowed one run in an inning of work with two strikeouts.

Noah Ritchie and Joel Pierce each hit doubles for the hosts. Matthias Haggerty Jesse Welch and Sam Reichert each collected singles for the Thunder. Ritchie drove in two runs for the Thunder, and Graham Core added a RBI.

Augustana scored twice in the top of the first inning to take a 2-0 lead. Wheaton had a productive first inning as the Thunder forced Augustana starting pitcher to throw 45 pitches. The hosts scored three runs in the bottom of the first to take a 3-2 lead.

Matthias Haggerty ad Jesse Welch hit singles to open the bottom of the first for the Thunder. Ben Weaver drew a 10-pitch walk to load the bases in a strong at bat for the Thunder centerfielder. Ritchie hit a double down the leftfield line as Haggerty and Weaver scored to tie the game at 2-2. Reichert drew a walk to load the bases and Core followed two at bats later with a walk that brought Weaver home to give the Thunder a 3-2 lead.

Augustana led off the top of the second inning with a single and the leadoff batter advanced to second on a sacrfice bunt for the first out. The Vikings flied out for the second out in the third at bat of the inning. Augustana leftfielder Jacob Barker was credited with a triple on a shot to leftfield that appeared to be caught by Welch on a diving play. The tying and go-ahead runs scored on the triple and the Vikings would go on to score 12 more runs with two outs in the inning to take a 16-3 lead on the Thunder. The guests added a run in the top of the fourth inning and another run in the top of the seventh inning to account for the 18-3 final score.