Fort Pierce, Fla. -- The Wheaton baseball team's Spring Break schedule continued with a non-conference test against Thiel College on Monday afternoon, and the Tomcats edged the Thunder, 2-1, in a defensive battle. The scoring was not opened until the eighth inning, and the Thunder managed to strike first, but Thiel did just enough to earn the dramatic victory. Wheaton's record now sits at 2-4 on the year after today's heartbreaker.
The two teams combined for 13 hits in today's contest, and 15 base runners were left stranded throughout the game, so the low score was a testament to the high-quality pitching and sharp fielding efforts on display. The wind also had a tangible effect on proceedings, as multiple balls hit into the outfield were restricted by double-digit gusts that aided the defenses.
Jared Kloth was Wheaton's pitcher for the majority of Monday's meeting and had a strong showing on the mound, tallying three strikeouts, all of which came in a lock-down fourth inning display, and only surrendering one run off of eight hits and 30 batters faced. His counterpart, Thiel's Alec Katon, was also excellent in his six innings pitched, compiling eight strikeouts, holding Wheaton to four hits, and keeping the Thunder off the scoreboard.
Harrison Stanton led off with a single and
Kyle Wu followed up with a right-field double to immediately give Wheaton two runners in scoring position to begin the game. But the next three batters were stopped from bringing in either run, and this exchange set the tone for the low-scoring affair that unfolded. Wheaton's fielders linked up for a pair of double plays in the second and third innings to prevent the Tomcats from gaining an early edge on the scoreboard, and it appeared as though a rare 0-0 scoreline might be preserved all the way through the ninth frame.
But
Matthias Haggerty once again made a vital contribution to Wheaton's offense, posting an RBI double to bring
Kyle Wu across home plate and break the deadlock in the top of the eighth inning. Unfortunately for the Illinois side, Thiel wasted no time in tying the game back up, earning their penultimate score via an RBI single following a double and wild pitch situation that brought the tying run one step away from home plate. Wheaton recovered in time to prevent the Tomcats from flipping the scoreline around, but after failing to bring
Joe Klein home from third base in the top of the ninth, it was Thiel's turn to land the decisive blow. A sacrifice bunt, two accidental hits by pitches, and an intentional walk against the Tomcats' pinch hitter loaded the bases, and a misplaced throw from the mound ended the game by allowing the Thiel runner on third base to touch the pentagon.
Kyle Wu and
Matthias Haggerty each posted two hits and a double on Monday, with the latter bringing the former in to score for an RBI.
Harrison Stanton accounted for Wheaton's only other hit of the contest.
The Thunder will look to put Monday's disappointment behind them and get back in the win column when they face Gettysburg College at 6:30 PM ET on Tuesday.
