GAME STATS Carol Stream, Ill. - With the Thunder baseball team celebrating its Senior Night on Friday night, it was only fitting that one of Wheaton's 12 seniors honored before the game brought an end to a thrilling marathon game on Friday night. Noah Ritchie's 15th inning sacrifice fly brought home Clayton Moore from third base to give the Thunder a 3-2 victory over the Elmhurst Bluejays in the first of a three-game weekend series. The game was the longest played by the Thunder since Wheaton fell to North Central 6-4 in 15 innings on April 27, 2001 at Alexian Field in Schaumburg.

Pitching stole the headlines from the beginning of the game on Friday night with Wheaton's Jacob Garrity and Elmhurst's Joseph Kalish locking up in a riveting pitcher's duel. After Wheaton could not capitalize with the bases loaded in the bottom of the first inning, it was the Bluejays that scored first on a solo home run by Freddie March to lead off the third inning. Garrity used double plays to end the third and fourth innings of work before escaping a bases loaded jam to end his night in the top of the seventh. The senior pitcher ended the game with a no decision after allowing just one run on six hits in seven innings of work with six strikeouts.

On the other end, Kalish also settled in after shutting down Wheaton's first inning rally. The Bluejay starter set down the side in order in the third, fourth, and fifth innings and took advantage of some nifty defense to end the sixth inning with a double play snuffing out a Thunder rally. With the Thunder bats quiet, Joel Pierce sparked the Thunder offense with a drag bunt to lead off the bottom of the seventh inning and was replaced by pinch runner Luke Roudabush. A hit by pitch by Matthias Haggerty would chase Kalish from the game in favor of Cole Bozzi. Following the pitching change, Roudabaush and Haggerty completed a double steal to put runners on second and third with no outs. Two batters later, Mason Packwood battled back from an 0-2 count to drive in Roudabush with a groundout to tie the game at 1-1.

Elmhurst answered with a leadoff double that would come around to score on another two-out double to but the Bluejays ahead 2-1. Harrison Stanton led off the bottom of the eighth with a walk and was moved to second on a sacrifice fly by Jesse Welch. Ben Weaver followed with a twisting double into the left field corner to plate Stanton and tie the game again, this time at 2-2.

From there pitching took center stage once again after Klein struck out the side in the top of the ninth. Wheaton was able to get a runner to third in the bottom of the tenth when Tyler Weiner led off with a single and pinch runner Noah Yi stole second before moving to third. Klein continued to mow down the Bluejays, eventually setting down 19 batters in a row and not allowing a runner to reach base after the eighth inning. Klein would carry the game through the 14th inning, throwing seven innings and allowing just two hits while striking out 10 batters.

Wheaton went down in order as well for the three innings following the 10th, but Clayton Moore brought the crowd to its feet in the bottom of the 12th inning with a towering fly ball to left field that ran out of gas just shy of the wall and a potential walkoff homer. Wheaton would rally again in the 14th inning when Cale Lewis reached on an error and Haggerty followed with a single. Graham Core moved the runners to second and third with a sacrifice bunt and Mason Packwood looked to have the hit to end the game but a stellar defensive play by Drew Rapsolich stole a hit and ended the inning.

Brendan Dyer worked around a two-out hit by pitch to throw a scoreless 15th inning of work. Moore led off the bottom of the 15th with a walk and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Stanton. Welch followed with a hard ground ball up the middle that deflected off the pitcher putting runners on the corners with just one out. An intentional walk to Weaver would load the bases and set the stage for Noah Ritchie, who lifted a fly ball to medium center field that was deep enough to bring home Moore and end the marathon game with a 3-2 victory.

Six of Wheaton's eight hits came from Jesse Welch, Ben Weaver, and Tyler Weiner, who each had two-hit games.