Elmhurst, Ill. -- One day after playing away from home against IIT, the Thunder baseball team took to the road again this evening to face another Chicagoland opponent, Elmhurst University. The Bluejays took game one of the three-part weekend series by a score of 11-3. Friday's loss drops Wheaton's season record to 7-21, and the Thunder will try to pick up their second CCIW victory at home against the same side tomorrow.
The visitors managed to load the bases in their first batting series tonight, but a ground out to second base gave Elmhurst the third out it needed to prevent the Thunder from capitalizing and opening the scoring. The Bluejays then wasted little time in scoring themselves, with a sacrifice fly and a single shot up the middle bringing two runs in to give the hosts an early advantage. Elmhurst added a third run in the following frame, but it wasn't until the fourth and fifth innings that the home side built up a decisive cushion with five runs from three hits.
After stranding three runners on base again in the top of the sixth, Wheaton finally broke through in the following inning when a
Joe Klein triple allowed
Harrison Stanton to score the first run, and
Kyle Wu subsequently brought Klein across with a RBI single into left field. But three outs on the next three batters meant that the Thunder were unable to further reduce the deficit, and Elmhurst added two more scores in the bottom of the eighth to all but confirm its victory. Another extra-base hit from Klein in the top of the ninth eventually led to the senior scoring Wheaton's third run, but the Bluejays quickly snuffed out hopes of a late Thunder comeback and held on for a weekend-opening win.
Wheaton posted three more hits than its hosts did tonight, but the guests committed four errors while Elmhurst did not make any. The Bluejays also enjoyed advantages in strikeouts, walks, and the number of respective players left on base.
Alex Bagley started on the mound this evening and struck out three batters in his four innings of work.
Caleb VanKerkhoff and
David Levengood served in relief, and the latter conceded zero hits and tallied two strikeouts in his two innings of play.
Klein led the way for Wheaton's offense on Friday, posting two hits, a RBI, and scoring two of Wheaton's three runs.
Mason Diel was 3-4 at the plate, while Wu had two hits and a pair of RBI. Stanton joined Klein on two hits and scored the other run for the Thunder.
Daniel Hillyer and
Jacob Snyder each contributed one hit this evening.
Wheaton returns to Lee Pfund Stadium on Saturday afternoon for a doubleheader against the Bluejays. Game one is scheduled to start at 1 PM.
