Chicago, Ill. – The Wheaton softball team (11-7) played a non-conference doubleheader on Saturday at University of Chicago (13-7). The Thunder and Maroons split today's twinbill on Chicago's south side. Chicago defeated the Thunder 1-0 in eight innings in the first gamer of the afternoon. Wheaton won the nightcap with an 11-5 win against the Maroons.

Chicago was a 1-0 winner in game one in eight innings as the Maroons scored one run, on five hits, with one error and Wheaton had zero runs, on three hits, with one error. Senior starting pitcher Alese Antonello (4-4) pitched 7-2/3 innings as she allowed one unearned run, on five hits, with six strikeouts and one walk. Madison Forberg, Paige Andrews and Sydney Broderick each hit singles for Wheaton in the contest.

The two teams battled through seven scoreless innings to go into extra innings. Broderick singled for Wheaton in the eighth inning, but she was unable to score as the game stayed tied. The Maroons collected a two-out single and a Thunder error allowed the batter to get to second base. A UChicago single to rightfield drove in the game-winning run as the hosts earned the 1-0 victory.
Wheaton won the second game 11-5 as the Thunder scored in each of the game's seven innings. Andrews started the game in the circle for the guests as she tossed three scoreless innings. Andrews did not allow a hit, striking out two with no walks allowed. Freshman Shylah Dozeman pitched four innings, allowing five runs, including four earned runs. Dozeman scattered seven hits, with one walk and one strikeout.

Isabel Hillyer was 2-for-3 with a double and a walk. Hillyer had two RBI, scoring two runs, with a stolen base. Livi Figueroa was also 2-for-3. Olivia Nahorniak was 2-for-3, with a walk and one run scored. Abby Whitehead was 2-for-5, with three RBI and one run scored.

Wheaton gained an early 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning as Whitehead hit a three-run double that drove in Andrews, Nahorniak and Forberg. Wheaton added two more runs in the top of the second inning as Hillyer hit an RBI-double and scored later in the inning on a sacrifice fly by Forberg to increase Wheaton's lead to 5-0.

Wheaton scored two more runs in the top of the third inning to increase the lead to 7-0. Whitehead led off the game with a single and later scored on a passed ball. Antonello scored Wheaton's second run of the inning on a groundout by Broderick.   

Elizabeth Meyer hit an RBI-single to drive in Gracey Rockness in the top of the fourth inning to increase the Thunder lead to 8-0. The Maroons scored four runs in the bottom of the fourth to trim Wheaton's lead to 8-4. The Thunder added another run in the top of the fifth inning to extend the guests' lead to 9-4. Hillyer hit a one-out single in the fifth and then stole second base. She scored on an RBI-single by Broderick.

In the top of the sixth, Antonello hit a single and stole second base. She scored on a fielder's choice hit by Hillyer as Wheaton increased its lead to 10-4. The Maroons scored a run in the bottom of the sixth as the hosts trimmed Wheaton's advantage to 10-5. The 11-5 final score was the result of RBI on a groundout by Andrews that drove in Abigail Latka.

Wheaton travels to Elmhurst on Tuesday for a CCIW doubleheader against the Bluejays. The twinbill against Elmhurst is the start of busy week for the Thunder that has Wheaton scheduled to play four road doubleheaders in five days.