Wheaton, Ill. – The Thunder softball team opened conference play on Friday afternoon with a doubleheader at home against North Park (9-5, 1-1 CCIW). Wheaton won the opener 5-4 in eight innings, while the Vikings won the nightcap 3-2. The Thunder are now 11-7 overall, with a 1-1 conference record. Wheaton remains in CCIW action on Saturday with a doubleheader at No. 20 Millikin.
Wheaton won the opener 5-4 as the hosts scored five runs, on seven hits, and no errors while NPU tallied four runs, on seven hits, with no errors. Starting pitcher
Emilie Gist worked 6-2/3 innings allowing four runs, on five hits, with 12 strikeouts and three walks.
Alese Antonello (5-3) earned the win in 1-1/3 innings of relief. Antonello scattered two hits in the outing.
Paige Andrews was 2-for-3, with a double, and drawing a walk. Gist helped her own cause, going 2-for-4, with two RBI and a run scored. Gist hit her third home run of the season and added a double.
North Park scored a run in the top of the first inning to take an early 1-0 lead. Wheaton responded with four runs in the bottom of the first inning to take a 4-1 lead.
Ashley Carter drove in two runs with a single and Gist hit a two-run homer over the left field fence in the inning. The Vikings scored twice in the top of the fourth inning to trim Wheaton's lead to 4-3. The guests added a run in the top of the sixth inning to tie the contest at 4-4.
Wheaton won the game with a run in the bottom of the eighth inning.
Janette Oh drew a one-out walk and advanced to third on a double by Gist in the next at bat.
Andrews then drew a walk on the next at bat. In the next at bat, was replaced by pinch runner
Gracey Rockness at third base. Two batters later,
Claire Busch looped a single to centerfield to drive Rockness home for the game-winning run.
The Vikings managed a split of the doubleheader with a 3-2 win in the second game. North Park scored three runs, on five hits, with no errors and Wheaton tallied two runs, on five hits, committing one error. Antonello (5-4) started the game in the circle for the Thunder. She allowed three runs, with only one earned run, on five hits, with six strikeouts and three walks. Carter and Gist each hit a double for the hosts in the second game.
North Park gained an early lead with two runs in the bottom of the second inning. Wheaton tied the game at 2-2 with a pair of runs in the top of the third inning. Gist drove in one run with bases loaded ground out and Busch drove in the game-tying run with a sacrifice fly.
The Vikings scored an unearned run in the bottom of the fifth inning to gain the 3-2 advantage. Wheaton collected leadoff hits in each of the final two innings, including a leadoff double in the top of the seventh inning. However, the hosts could not drive the-game tying run in as NPU emerged with the win.
