Carol Stream, Ill. – The Wheaton baseball team hosted Carroll University on Saturday for a conference doubleheader. Carroll (15-20, 8-8 CCIW) won the first game 4-3, while Wheaton rallied for a 7-6 victory in the second game. For Wheaton, the doubleheader was highlighted by
Harrison Stanton with a 5-for-7 day across both games, with a home run, and three triples. Stanton scored three runs today and he drove in five.
The twinbill was moved up two hours to 11:00 a.m. to deal with rain and thunderstorms in the forecast throughout the day. Game one dealt with rain early the contest, however, the skies cleared, and the game was played uninterrupted. Game two was delayed one hour and 45 minutes in the top of the eighth inning due to a thunderstorm with heavy rains that moved through Chicagoland.
Wheaton is now 16-17 on the season and improves to 9-6 in conference play. The Thunder conclude the regular season next weekend with three conference games at Pfund Stadium. Wheaton hosts North Park next Friday at 6:00 pm. In a single game. The Thunder entertain Augustana at 1:00 p.m. next Saturday in a conference twinbill to wrap up the regular season.
Carroll earned a 4-3 victory in today's first game at Pfund Stadium. The Pioneers scored four runs, on four hits, with three errors, while the Thunder scored three runs, on seven hits, with two errors. Thunder starting pitcher
JD Van Hook (3-3) tossed five innings, allowing four runs, including three earned runs. Van Hook scattered three hits, walked six and struck out four.
Nate Barker pitched 3-2/3 innings of scoreless relief, with one hit allowed, three strikeouts and two walks.
John McCraith worked one third of an inning in this game, he would return to earn the win in today's nightcap.
Stanton was 3-for-4, scoring a pair of runs in game one. Stanton hit two triples and stole a base.
Van Hook held Carroll hitless in the first three innings. The Thunder scored a run in the bottom of the first inning to take a 1-0 lead. Stanton hit a one-out triple to centerfield and scored on a Carroll error in the next at bat. Carroll scored twice in the top of the fourth inning to take a 2-1 lead.
The Pioneers added two runs in the top of the fifth inning to increase their lead to 4-1.
Kyle Wu led off the bottom of the fifth inning with a single and later scored on a Carroll error as Wheaton cut the Pioneers' lead to 4-2.
Wheaton won the second game today 7-6, as the Thunder scored seven runs, on 10 hits, with one error. Carroll scored six runs, with 12 hits, and one error. Thunder starting pitcher
Jared Kloth pitched three innings, allowing four runs, on seven hits, with one strikeout.
Bjorn Bostrom tossed 3-1/3 innings of relief as he allowed two unearned runs, on two hits, with three strikeouts and now walks allowed. McCraith (1-1) pitched 1-2/3 innings of scoreless relief in earning the win. McCraith scattered two hits and walked two, with two strikeouts. Senior
David Solfelt pitched one inning of relief to earn his third save of the season and second in as many days. Solfelt allowed zero runs, with one hit, and he struck out two.
Designated hitter
Mason Diel was 3-for-4, with four RBI and a double. Stanton was 2-for-3, with two RBI and a run scored. Wu was 2-for-4 with a double, and an RBI.
Carroll scored twice in the top of the first inning to take a 2-0 lead. Diel had an RBI-single in the bottom of the first inning and Wu drove in a run with an RBI-single as Wheaton tied the game at 2-2. Stanton hit a solo home run in the bottom of the second inning to propel the Thunder to a 3-2 lead.
Carroll scored a pair of runs in the top of the third inning to take a 4-3 lead. The Pioneers added two additional runs in the top of the seventh to increase their lead to 6-3. Wheaton responded with three runs in the bottom of the seventh to tie the game at 6-6. Diel hit a double with the bases loaded in the seventh to account for Wheaton's runs in the inning.
Clouds started moving in during the sixth and seventh inning. McCraith (PICTURED LEFT), who entered with one out in the in the top of the seventh, returned in the top of the eighth. Shortly after the inning began, it was halted as rain began and thunder was heard in the area and storms began moving in at 3:55 p.m. When play resumed at 5:40 p.m., McCraith returned to the mound he and the Thunder defense kept the Pioneers from scoring in the inning. Catcher
Tyler Weiner hit a leadoff single to open the bottom of the eighth inning for the Thunder. Stanton stepped up to the plate two batters later and belted a triple into the gap into right centerfield that brought Weiner home to give Wheaton the 7-6 lead.
Solfelt entered the game in the top of the ninth. The senior struck out the first batter he faced. Carroll's second batter reached on a single. However, Solfelt picked off the Pioneers' pinch runner to clear the base paths. Solfelt recorded his second strikeout in the next at bat to end the game.
