Wheaton, Ill. -- The Thunder softball team took to Ruth Leedy Field for the final time in 2024 this afternoon, as Wheaton played host to conference-leaders Illinois Wesleyan University in a doubleheader with high stakes for both sides. The visiting Titans won both contests this afternoon to remain in first place in the standings and move within one win of the CCIW regular season title. Today's results mean that Wheaton ends the regular season with an overall record of 16-20 and a conference mark of 5-11, with the team's CCIW Tournament eligibility still to be determined.
Friday's doubleheader was Senior Day for the Thunder softball team, and all five veteran players on this year's roster were recognized in a special ceremony along with their attending family members before the first game this afternoon.
IWU plated two runs in its first batting series of Friday's twinbill to signal the intent of a team that is closing in on the conference title.
Livi Figueroa registered Wheaton's first hit of the day in the bottom of the third inning, but the guests had extended their lead to three by that point, and Illinois Wesleyan's sharp pitching and fielding limited the Thunder's offensive production in game one. After forcing a three-up, three-down series in the fourth frame, the Titans fired off four more runs in the top of the fifth to create permanent separation on the scoreboard. Wheaton had the chance to cut into the deficit in the bottom half thanks to consecutive singles, a sacrifice bunt, and a fielding error which loaded the bases. But IWU forced a fly-out and a line-out to pick up two quick stops and extinguish any hopes of a Thunder comeback. The Titans added one more score in the sixth frame to bring the game to an end at 8-0 one inning early.
Illinois Wesleyan enjoyed a sizable 17-3 advantage in hits in today's first game, but the Bloomington side committed one more error than the Thunder. Neither pitcher walked any opposition batters, and the Titans stranded nine baserunners to Wheaton's four. The guests also stole five bases in a high-powered offensive performance.
Senior pitcher
Alese Antonello got her final start in the circle at home for Wheaton in game one and threw for all six innings, sitting down one IWU batter. Antonello also tallied one hit on the offensive end and was joined on this figure by Figueroa and
Abby Whitehead.
Just as they did in game one, the Titans came out with hot bats in the second half of Friday's doubleheader, scoring three runs in the first inning to establish a helpful early advantage. After a six at-bat, six-out second inning, the Thunder finally ended their scoreless streak in the third when
Madison Forberg singled to center field and brought pinch runner
Megan Mosier across home plate. But a solo home run in the bottom half restored IWU's three-run lead, and the visitors did not give Wheaton any more concrete scoring opportunities in the remainder of the contest. Illinois Wesleyan began the fifth inning with back-to-back hits and eventually registered five runs in the frame to earn another premature victory at a 9-1 margin.
The Thunder again tallied three hits in the second game, although they held IWU to six fewer than the visitors managed in the first contest. The Titans left four runners on base, while Wheaton stranded just two, and no batters were hit by a pitch in either game on Friday. Illinois Wesleyan logged four extra-base hits in game two today and conceded none to their hosts.
Three different pitchers saw time in the circle for Wheaton in Friday's second matchup, with
Shylah Dozeman getting the start and
Paige Andrews providing 1.1 innings of relief.
Victoria Barbar started game two at first base and provided an offensive spark for the Thunder, firing off a single in both of her at-bats. Wheaton's other hit in the second contest came from the senior catcher Forberg, as did the team's lone RBI.
The Thunder's regular season slate is now complete, but the squad will be hoping that the 2024 campaign is not over just yet. It is still possible for Wheaton to qualify for next week's CCIW Tournament as the #6 seed, but it would require North Park to lose both games at Millikin on Saturday and Elmhurst to drop at least one contest at Augustana on Sunday. Wheaton is currently tied with Carroll on a 5-11 CCIW record, and with the possibility of four teams finishing the regular season with that same mark, the last spot in the conference tournament will have to be decided via tiebreaker if North Park fails to win at Millikin tomorrow.
