Carol Stream, Ill. -- Two days after a thrilling 7-6 win over the University of Chicago Maroons, the Thunder baseball team returned to Lee Pfund Stadium for a hastily-scheduled non-conference game against Calvin University. With inclement weather in the forecast forcing Wheaton's weekend series against UW-Stout to be called off, the Thunder moved quickly to take advantage of Thursday's playable conditions and secured a one-off against the visiting Knights. The Michigan team started fast by tallying six runs in the first two innings this afternoon before holding off a ninth-inning comeback attempt by the hosts to earn a 12-10 road win. Today's result improves Calvin's record to 9-7 while dropping Wheaton's season mark to 5-7.
Thursday's game began in the worst possible fashion for the home side, with Wheaton's only error of the day allowing the first batter to reach base safely and eventually score the opening run on a sacrifice fly. The Knights added two more in the top of the first and conceded just one hit in the bottom half to establish a key early advantage. A three-run homer for Calvin in the second frame put the visitors on the path to victory, and despite a pitching change and a smooth defensive showing in the third inning, Wheaton allowed three more runs in the fourth that cemented a 9-0 lead for Calvin. The Thunder finally got on the scoreboard themselves with a bases-loaded walk in the bottom of the fifth, and a second one soon followed to make it 9-2. But the Knights turned a double play to limit the damage and maintain a comfortable tilt heading into the final four frames.
Wheaton's bats finally came alive starting in the seventh inning, and the hosts outscored their MIAA guests 8-2 in the last three frames. But the damage had been done early on, and Calvin had just enough in the tank to see off a spirited Thunder fight-back. With Wheaton again having loaded the bases in the bottom of the ninth, the team's leading batter so far this season,
Mason Diel, stepped up and launched a grand slam into left field to make things interesting on the scoreboard. But a debatable ground-out call on the next batter and a fly-out followed that gave the Knights the last two outs they needed to snuff out any hope of a famous escape act for Wheaton.
The Thunder actually posted three more hits than today's victors and committed one less error. But Wheaton stranded 15 runners on base, walked seven Calvin players, and hit four Knights batters, all of which combined to allow for the visitors' win. Calvin also stole five bases compared to just one for Wheaton and tallied a pair of home runs.
Diel's rich vein of form continued on Thursday, with the junior designated hitter going 2-3 at the plate, scoring two runs, and earning a game-high five RBI thanks in large part to his ninth-inning home run.
Jacob Snyder registered a game-best three hits and also scored twice.
Harrison Stanton joined Diel on a pair of hits and runs scored, and
Luke Hamm came up with two RBI from one hit.
Daniel Hillyer and
Kyle Wu both posted one hit and one RBI, with the former also scoring a pair of runs.
Joe Klein and
Tim Whitfield each contributed one hit and one run.
Six different throwers saw time on the mound for Wheaton today, with
Alex Bagley getting the start.
Nathan Hedlund and
Jared Kloth both struck out one Calvin batter, and
Jack Lindsay had a bright cameo, sitting down a pair of Knights players and allowing a single run in his 2.1 innings of work.
Wheaton will take the Lee Pfund Stadium field again on Saturday afternoon for a pair of seven-inning contests against the Milwaukee School of Engineering.
