Naperville, Ill. – The Thunder softball team returned to CCIW action on Tuesday afternoon with a doubleheader at North Central College (8-2, 2-0 CCIW). The Cardinals rallied to win the first game 8-7 in walk-off fashion and NCC accomplished the sweep with a 4-3 victory in the second game. Wheaton is now 11-11 on the season, with a 1-5 record in CCIW play.
The Cardinals won today's first game 8-7 as the hosts scored eight runs, on nine hits, with zero errors and Wheaton tallied seven runs, on nine hits, with two errors. Thunder starting pitcher
Emilie Gist tossed six innings, allowing seven runs, including six earned runs, on nine hits. She scattered nine hits, with 11 strikeouts and one walk.
Alese Antonello (5-6) pitched 1/3 of an inning in relief as she allowed one run, with no hits, walking two.
Ashley Carter was 2-for-3 in the opener, with three RBI and three runs scored. Carter hit a home run and a double for the guests.
Claire Busch was 2-for-4, with a home run and a double as she drove in four runs and scored one run.
Sydney Heinrich was 2-for-3, with a double as she scored two runs.
Carter led off the day with a double to centerfield and Busch followed three batters later with a two-run homer that brought both players home to give Wheaton the early 2-0 lead. The Cardinals scored twice in the bottom of the third inning to tie the contest at 2-2.
Wheaton responded with three runs in the top of the fourth inning to regain the lead with a 5-2 edge. Singles by
Madison Forberg and
Elise O'Neil setup a three-run home run by Carter in the fourth inning. A solo home run by the Cardinals in the bottom of the fourth inning trimmed Wheaton's lead to 5-3. NCC added three runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to take a 6-5 advantage.
The Cardinals added another run in the bottom of the sixth inning to extend their lead to 7-5. Heinrich led off the top of the seventh inning with a double and Carter followed with a walk in the next at bat. Three batters later, Busch doubled to left centerfield to drive in both Heinrich and Carter to tie the game at 7-7. North Central won the game in the bottom of the seventh inning on a bunt to drive in the game-winning run in an 8-7 victory for the hosts.
North Central earned a 4-3 victory in the nightcap as the Cardinals scored four runs, on seven hits, with three errors and Wheaton tallied three runs, on six hits, with one error. Antonello (5-7) started in the circle as she worked 5-2/3 innings, with three runs allowed, including two earned runs, scattering six hits. Gist pitched 1-1/3 innings of relief as she held the Cardinals hitless, with no runs allowed, striking out two with two walks. Forberg was 2-for-3 at the plate in game two, driving in two runs.
North Central scored a run in the top of the third inning to take a 1-0 lead. Heinrich scored a run for Wheaton in the bottom of the fourth inning to tie the game at 1-1. North Central responded in the top of the fifth inning with a run to regain the lead with a 2-1 edge.
Forberg hit a two-run single in the bottom of the fifth inning to give Wheaton a 3-2 lead. The Cardinals scored twice in the top of the sixth inning to give the hosts the 4-3 lead that would become the eventual final score.
