Moline, Ill. – The Wheaton baseball team started its three-game series against Augustana on Thursday night with a victory. The Thunder defeated the Vikings 15-7 in earning the win. Tonight's game was originally scheduled for tomorrow night in the Quad Cities, but moved to tonight due to rain in the forecast for Friday. The Thunder will host the Vikings on Saturday at Lee Pfund Stadium in doubleheader that begins at 1:00 p.m. The Wheaton baseball team will host its Senior Day ceremony prior to the first pitch of game one of the twinbill.

Wheaton defeated Augustana tonight with 15 runs, on 17 hits, with three errors. The Vikings scored seven runs, on 12 hits, with two errors. Freshman starting pitcher Alex Bagley pitched 4-1/3 innings as he allowed six runs, including three earned runs, on nine hits, with four strikeouts and one walk. Caleb VanKerkhoff earned the win in 2-2/3 innings of relief. He allowed one unearned run, on one hit, with two walks and two strikeouts. Nathan Hedlund earned the save with two innings of scoreless relief, as he scattered two hits, with two walks and two strikeouts.

Second baseman Kyle Wu continued his hot-hitting ways with a 4-for-5 effort, hitting two doubles, with a stolen base. Wu scored four runs, with two RBI. Shortstop Noah Yi was 4-for-6, with a double as he scored two runs, with two RBI. Leftfielder Daniel Hillyer was 2-for-4, scoring twice. Designated hitter Mason Diel was 2-for-5, with two RBI.

The Thunder offense started early with five runs in the top of the second inning. A two-run double by Joe Klein highlighted inning. Yi and Matt Nelson each hit a RBI-single and Luke Hamm drove in a run with a sacrifice fly. The Vikings scored a run in the bottom of the second inning as the Thunder led 5-1 after two innings. Wu led off the top of the third inning with a double to centerfield and he scored two batters later on a RBI-single by Yi. The Vikings scored four runs in the bottom of the third inning as they trimmed Wheaton's lead to 6-5.

Hillyer drove in a run in the top of the fifth inning on a RBI-single. The Vikings added a run in the bottom of the fifth as the Thunder let 7-6 after five innings. Augustana added another run in the bottom of the sixth to tie the game at 7-7.

In the top of the seventh inning, Wu hit a one-out single in the next at bat on an RBI by Jacob Snyder. Wu's run gave the Thunder an 8-7 lead through seven innings as VanKerkhoff kept the Vikings off the scoreboard in the bottom of the seventh inning.
Wheaton added two more runs in the top of the eighth inning as WU hit a RBI-double and Diel hit a RBI-single. Hedlund held Augustana hitless in the bottom of the eighth as the Thunder led 10-7 after eight innings.

The Thunder scored five more runs in the top of the ninth inning. Harrison Stanton had a two-run double in the inning. Nelson hit a RBI-single, Wu drove in a run with a sacrifice fly and Diel drove in a run when he was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. Hedlund held the Vikings scoreless in the ninth inning as he earned the save and Wheaton earned the win.