Wheaton, Ill. – The Wheaton Thunder softball team (10-6) hosted Eureka College on Wednesday at Ruth Leedy Field in a non-conference doubleheader. The matchups between the Thunder and Red Devils was the first ever softball contests between the two schools. Wheaton rallied to win today's first game 8-3. Eureka won the second game 13-10 that was called after five innings due to darkness.

Wheaton won today's opener 8-3 with eight runs, on nine hits, with two errors. The Red Devils scored three runs, on 10 hits, with four errors. Alese Antonello (4-3) earned the win in the circle in seven innings of work. The Thunder senior allowed three runs, on 10 hits, with four strikeouts and two walks.

Elizabeth Meyer was 3-for-4 at the plate, with a double as she scored two runs, with one RBI. Freshman Abby Whitehead was 2-for-4, with four RBI and one RBI. Whitehead belted a grand slam in the critical bottom of the sixth inning. Antonello helped her own cause with a double and scored one run.

Eureka gained an early 1-0 lead with a run in the top of the first inning. Wheaton tied the game at 1-1 with a run in the bottom of the second inning as Antonello hit a leadoff double and later scored on an EC error. The Red Devils responded with two runs in the top of the third inning to gain a 3-1 lead. The Thunder added a run in the bottom of the third inning to cut the guests' lead to 3-2. Meyer led off the bottom of the third with an infield single. She scored three batters later on a two-out single by Paige Andrews.

The Thunder scored six runs in an impressive sixth inning to gain the 8-3 lead. Meyer hit a RBI-double to tie the game at 3-3. Olivia Nahorniak gave her team a 4-3 lead with a sacrifice fly. Whitehead broke the game open when she stepped up to the plate with the bases loaded and blasted a grand slam over the centerfield fence. Antonello did not allow a hit in the top of the seventh inning as Wheaton earned the 8-3 victory.

Eureka won the second game 13-10 in a contest that was called due to darkness after five innings. The Red Devils scored 13 runs, on 15 hits, with three errors while the Thunder tallied 10 runs, on nine hits, with one error.

Thunder centerfielder Sydney Broderick was 2-for-3, scoring twice. Catcher Madison Forberg was 2-for-4, scoring twice, with a RBI. Whitehead drove in three runs in the game and Andrews added two RBI.

Eureka attacked early with eight runs in the top of the first inning for an early 8-0 lead. The Red Devils added three runs in the top of the fourth inning to extend their lead to 11-0. Wheaton responded with five runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to trim the guests' lead to 11-5. Forberg hit a RBI-single in the inning, Whitehead drew a bases loaded walk and Andrews drove in a run for the hosts.
With darkness beginning to fall Eureka added two runs in the top of the fifth inning to extend the guests' lead to 13-5. The Thunder mounted a furious rally in the bottom of the fifth inning with five runs to trim the Eureka lead to 13-10. Whitehead hit a two-run single in the inning, while Meyer had a RBI-double. Andrews drew a bases loaded walk and Forberg drove in a run. The game-tying run was at the plate with two outs when there was a Thunder strikeout to end the game.

The Thunder return to action on Saturday with a home doubleheader against Calvin University. The doubleheader begins at 1:00 p.m. on Ruth Leedy Field.