Decatur, Ill. – The Thunder softball team traveled to Millikin University on Saturday for Wheaton's first road contests in non-conference play. The Big Blue, ranked 20
th in this week's National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Coaches Poll, swept the twinbill with the Thunder. Millikin was an 8-0 winner in the first game and the hosts won the nightcap 3-0.
Millikin won the first game today with eight runs, on nine hits, committing no errors and Wheaton had zero runs, on three hits, with three errors. Thunder starting pitcher
Emilie Gist (6-4) allowed eight runs, including four earned runs, on nine hits with two strikeouts and one walk. Infielder
Paige Andrews was 2-for-3 for the Thunder. Gist hit a double to account for Wheaton's third hit.
Millikin scored twice in the bottom of the first inning to take a 2-0 lead. The Big Blue scored two more runs in the fourth, and added another run in the fifth to increase the hosts' lead to 5-0. Millikin added three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to end the game in a run-rule decision.
The Big Blue won the second game 3-0, as the hosts scored three runs on seven hits, with one error and the Thunder tallied zero runs, on two hits, with two errors.
Alese Antonello (5-5) worked all seven innings for the Thunder. She scattered seven hits with three runs, however she allowed no earned runs. Antonello walked four and struck out two.
Elise O'Neil hit a double for the guests and
Sydney Heinrich added a single for the Thunder.
Millikin gained a 1-0 lead with an unearned run in the top of the second inning. The Big Blue added two more unearned runs in the top of the third inning to account for Millikin's 3-0 lead.
Wheaton travels to Naperville on Tuesday for a CCIW doubleheader at North Central. Tuesday's twinbill is slated to begin at 3:00 p.m.
