Wheaton, Ill – The Wheaton softball team (14-12, 3-3 CCIW) dodged raindrops and cloudy skies on Tuesday afternoon to host a doubleheader against Carroll University (9-17, 3-5 CCIW). The Pioneers won the first game 3-0 and the Thunder rebounded to win the second game 14-4.

The Thunder convincingly won the second game today, 14-4 in six innings. Wheaton scored 14 runs, on 17 hits with two errors and Carroll scored four hits, on five hits, with no errors. Thunder starting pitcher Paige Andrews pitched 3-2/3 innings as she allowed two runs, including one earned run. Andrews scattered five hits, with one strikeout and one walk. Freshman pitcher Shylah Dozeman (6-3) earned the win in 2-1/3 innings of relief as she held the Pioneers hitless. Dozeman gave up two unearned runs, with one walk.

Five Thunder players had a multi-hit game in the nightcap. Andrews was 4-for-4 at the plate with a double and a triple, four RBI and two runs scored. Alese Antonello was 3-for-4 with a grand slam, five RBI and two runs scored. Sydney Broderick had a 3-for-4 outing as she scored twice with one RBI. Shortstop Olivia Nahorniak was 2-for-2, with a walk, two runs scored and one RBI. Madison Forberg was 2-for-3 with a walk, and she scored two runs.

The two squads played two scoreless innings and then Wheaton broke the game open with six runs in the top of the third inning. Freshman Abby Whitehead drew a bases loaded walk to drive in Wheaton's first run and Andrews followed with an RBI-single to put the Thunder up 2-0. Antonello blasted a grand slam over the leftfield fence to give Wheaton a 6-0 lead. The Pioneers scored twice in the bottom of the fourth inning to cut Wheaton's lead to 6-2.

Andrews hit an RBI-triple in the top of the fifth inning to extend Wheaton's lead to 7-2. Carroll scored two unearned runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to trim Wheaton's lead to 7-4.

Wheaton again recorded a big inning in the top of the sixth with seven runs to increase its lead to 14-4. Andrews hit a two-run single in the inning. Nahorniak, Broderick, Whitehead and Isabel Hillyer each hit a RBI-single in the inning. Dozeman induced the Pioneers into a three-up-and-three down in the bottom of the sixth as the Thunder earned the 14-4 victory in six innings on the run-rule.

The Pioneers shut out the Thunder in today's opener 3-0. Carroll scored three runs, on nine hits, with no errors and Wheaton had zero runs, on five hits, with three errors. Antonello (6-8) pitched all seven innings for the Thunder. She allowed three runs, including two earned runs, on nine hits, with one walk and two strikeouts.

Nahorniak was 1-for-2 with a double in the opener. Forberg, Andrews, Hillyer and Antonello each hit a single for the hosts in the game.

Carroll scored one run in the top of the second inning to gain the lead in the game. The Pioneers scored an unearned run in the top of the fourth inning, and the guests added a run in the top of the sixth inning to account for the 3-0 final score.

Wheaton closes out the week with two more conference doubleheaders. The Thunder are at Carthage on Thursday afternoon for a doubleheader at 3:00 p.m. Wheaton hosts North Park on Friday for a makeup doubleheader that was rained out earlier this month.