GAME STATS 1 | GAME STATS 2 CLERMONT, FLA. – Two years after a global pandemic interrupted their season just 10 games in, the Wheaton softball team was able to return to Florida for its "annual" spring break trip and opened up 2022 competition with a 1-1 Saturday at Legends Way fields. In the first game of the season, Wheaton (1-0) defeated Cornell College (0-5) by a score of 12-1 in five innings. In game two, the Thunder (1-1) dropped an 8-4 battle against fellow Illinois college Dominican University (4-0).
 
Wheaton vs. Cornell
 
Against the Rams, Wheaton used an explosive second inning to take control of the game on their way to a run-rule victory. 
 
Cornell scored its only run in the top of the first inning. Despite a lead-off single from Janette Oh in the bottom of that frame, Wheaton remained scoreless until the bottom of the second. Claire Busch (PICTURED RIGHT) led off the inning with a walk and advanced to second on a single from Olivia Nahorniak. Another walk to Madison Forberg loaded the bases, and then Elise O'Neil drew another walk to score Busch. Nahorniak scored next on a pop-out behind second base from Sydney Heinrich, before Oh loaded the bases again thanks to a hard grounder to short and a muffed catch on the fielder's choice by the Rams' third baseman. Ashley Carter (PICTURED ABOVE) then drilled a single to center field to score Forberg and O'Neil.
 
Cornell's second error of the inning allowed Emilie Gist to reach on a fielder's choice while Oh scored, and then Paige Andrews added a triple to the big inning, scoring Carter and Gist. The Rams made a pitching change to attempt to slow the Thunder, but two batters later, Nahorniak – on her second trip through the line-up in the inning – used a deep shot to left field to earn her first career homerun and cap off Wheaton's nine-run inning.
 
The bottom of the third inning saw the Thunder score its final three runs, though the action wasn't quite as chaotic as the previous frame: Henrich singled, advanced on a walk to Oh, and then both scored thanks to a three-run homer from Carter, sealing the 12-1 victory.
 
Carter and Nahorniak highlighted the box score for Wheaton, each recording two runs and two hits, including one home run each. Carter's RBI total for the day came in at five; Nahorniak and Andrews each added two; and Gist, O'Neil, and Heinrich all added one apiece.
 
In total, seven different Thunder batters recorded at least one hit, while nine different players earned at least one run. Together, the Wheaton offense tallied its 12 runs on nine hits, four walks and one HBP, along with three strikeouts and just one defensive error.
 
Gist pitched four innings for Wheaton, allowing two hits and one run with two walks and seven strikeouts. O'Neil closed out the final frame for the Thunder, allowing just one hit in an otherwise quick outing.
 
Wheaton vs. Dominican
 
In Saturday's second contest, the Thunder and the Dominican University Stars battled back-and-forth for five frames before Dominican pulled away in the sixth.
 
Wheaton jumped on the board right away in the top of the first, as Carter tripled to right center field and then scored on a Gist groundout to the Stars' pitcher. Pitcher Alese Antonello held Dominican scoreless in the bottom of the first and second innings, and then the Thunder took a 2-0 lead thanks to two defensive errors from Dominican: Oh (PICTURED LEFT) reached on an error, advanced on a groundout by Carter and then advanced again and scored on another Stars error.
 
The bottom of the third frame saw Dominican bounce back and take a 3-2 lead thanks to four singles and a pair of stolen bases. Neither team scored in the fourth, but the see-saw competition resumed in the fifth as Wheaton tallied two hits and another two runs to regain the lead. Carter led off that inning with a walk and then scored on a double by Gist, who advanced on the attempted throw to home. Two batters later, Nahorniak knocked a hard grounder to first but the fielder's choice decision froze the Stars' first baseman, allowing Gist to score.
 
Wheaton's 4-3 lead was short lived however. Dominican used a walk, single, and a pair of wild pitches followed by a homerun to take the 6-4 advantage. The Thunder looked like they might continue the cat-and-mouse game in the top of the next inning; Oh, Carter and Gist drew consecutive walks to load the bases with just one out, but a pair of strikeouts stranded the trio of runners to wipe out the attempted rally.
 
Dominican tacked out two insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth thanks to three hits and one Wheaton error, and the Thunder were unable to rally in the seventh, bringing the game to a close with its 8-4 final score.
 
Wheaton scored its four runs on four hits, but stranded 10 runners on base in the contest, compared to Dominican's eight runs, 11 hits, and 11 LOBs. Wheaton was also able to draw nine walks but registered seven strikeouts – five of which came in the last two innings.
 
Similar to game one, Carter led the way offensively for the Thunder, recording two hits, drawing two walks and scoring one run. Oh and Gist notched the other two Wheaton runs, with Gist, Forberg, and Elizabeth Meyer recording hits, and Gist driving in two runs alongside one from Nahorniak.
 
Antonello pitched five full innings for Wheaton, allowing 10 hits – seven earned – seven runs, two walks and four strikeouts. Gist closed out the sixth inning of the contest, allowing one hit and one run with one strikeout.
 
Wheaton will enjoy a day of rest on Sunday before returning to the Florida fields on Monday morning. The Thunder will face the University of Massachusetts – Dartmouth at 9:15 a.m. EDT, followed by Mitchell College at 11:30 a.m. EDT.