Carol Stream, Ill. -- After a month-long delay from its initial place on the schedule and an on-site weather stoppage, the Wheaton baseball team finally completed its non-conference home matchup against the Aurora Spartans on Wednesday. The local NACC opponents came into tonight's game ranked 11th in the country having lost just three games all season, so the Thunder knew they would be up against the odds. But Wheaton equipped itself well in the underdog role and only fell to a competitive 7-4 defeat after the visitors used a late flurry to pull in front. Wheaton's record is now 14-15 on the season.
Both teams registered one run in the first inning to issue an early statement of intent, as
Ben Weaver brought
Kyle Wu in to score after Aurora struck first via an RBI single of their own. Wu's hit out to left field in the bottom of the third would prove to be the only hit of the next three and a half innings, as both sides failed to generate any offensive momentum and break the tie. This pattern looked set to continue through the fifth frame when the first two Wheaton batters failed to get on base, but Weaver's single and a
Matthias Haggerty walk gave
Joe Klein the chance to score the former pair with a two-RBI triple. The Thunder left two runners on base to end the inning, but this was of little concern at the time as the underdogs had established a 3-1 lead.
Unfortunately for the hosts, Aurora wasted no time in flipping the scoreline around, putting down four runs in the top of the sixth inning to reclaim the lead for good. A two-RBI double immediately followed a two-RBI single to power the Spartans into a 5-3 edge in the back-and-forth affair. The guests had a chance to stretch the lead even further in the following frame, but the Thunder managed to strand two Aurora runners in scoring position before they could reach home. Wheaton came close to tying the score in the bottom half when a ground-rule double by Haggerty sent Weaver across home plate. But some timely defense from the away side prevented the Thunder from earning a fifth equalizing run before the inning expired.
After a scoreless penultimate inning, Aurora added two runs in the top of the ninth for insurance and Wheaton did not have enough in the tank to mount a late comeback against their nationally-ranked visitors. The Thunder committed two errors in the contest, but nearly matched the Spartans in hits, posting nine to Aurora's ten. Wheaton pitched by committee on Wednesday night, as eight different players took to the mound.
Josiah Livingston got the start and tallied a strikeout while only giving up one run in a solid opening two innings.
Larry Arndt,
Simeon Downing, and brother
Caleb Downing all joined him on one strikeout, while the last pitcher of the night,
Micah Johnson, earned two. In his first collegiate appearance,
Will McCluskey surrendered no hits or runs as he came in to pitch the third inning for the Thunder.
Ben Weaver led the way offensively for Wheaton once again tonight, posting three hits, a team-high two runs, one RBI, and stealing a base for the second game in a row.
Kyle Wu also notched three hits and scored one run.
Matthias Haggerty went 2-4 in the batter's box and earned an RBI and a run.
Joe Klein picked up two RBI off of his triple in the fifth inning.
Wheaton travels to Bloomington on Friday afternoon for its last road fixtures of the regular season. The Thunder and Illinois Wesleyan are scheduled to play a CCIW doubleheader beginning at 3 PM after the pair of games was moved up a day due to inclement weather in Saturday's forecast.
