Wheaton, Ill. – The Wheaton Thunder softball team opened its 2025 home schedule on Saturday with a doubleheader at Ruth Leedy Field against Principia College. The Thunder defeated the Panthers 9-1 in five innings in today's first game. Wheaton shut out Principia 22-0 in the second game, in another five-inning victory. The 22 runs in today's nightcap was the most by the Thunder softball program since Wheaton plated 23 runs in a 23-9 win against North Park at home on April 5, 2016.
In today's first game the Thunder scored nine runs, on seven hits, with no errors and Principia scored one run, on one hit, with three errors. Thunder freshman
Iris Jones earned the win in the circle as she pitched three innings, allowing one run, on one hit, with four strikeouts and three walks.
Shylah Dozeman tossed two innings of scoreless relief as she held the Panthers hitless, with two strikeouts and one walk.
Olivia Nahorniak,
Paige Andrews and
Mia Reinhard each hit a double for the hosts.
Soleil Weaver,
Livi Figueroa, and
Kennedy Kemp each added a single. Reinhard drove in two runs and Andrews scored twice.
Principia drew a pair of walks in the first two at bats of the game. A RBI-single on the fourth at-bat drove in a run from the leadoff walk. Jones and Dozeman held the Panthers hitless in the remainder of the game in tossing the one-hitter. Andrews hit a two-out double in the bottom of the first inning, and she scored in the next at bat when Reinhard reached safely on a Principia throwing error.
The Thunder scored six runs in the bottom of the second inning to take a 7-1 lead.
Megan Mosier hit a two-run single and Reinhard hi. a two-run double to highlight the Thunder scoring in the inning. Nahorniak hit a two-run double in the bottom of the third inning to increase the hosts' lead to 9-1. Dozeman held Principia hitless in the final two innings, striking out two batters.
In Wheaton's 22-0 victory in the nightcap, the Thunder scored 19 runs in the first inning. Wheaton scored 22 runs in the game, on 16 hits, with no errors and Principia had zero runs, on two hits, committing seven errors, including five errors in the costly first inning. Thunder starting pitcher
Victoria Barbar earned the win in three innings as she held the Panthers hitless, with three walks and three strikeouts.
Kennedy Kemp pitched two innings of scoreless relief, allowing two hits.
Barbar was 4-for-4 at the plate with four RBI, with a double. Mosier was 3-for-5, with two runs scored and two RBI.
Abby Whitehead was 2-for-3, scoring twice, with four RBI as she hit Wheaton's first home run of the 2025 season. Andrews was 2-for-4 with a pair of doubles, scoring four runs.
Abie Brown was 2-for-2, with a RBI and two runs scored and a RBI.
Wheaton scored 19 runs in the remarkable bottom of the first inning. Mosier collected three hits in the inning. Whitehead reached base safely three times, including a booming home run over the leftfield fence. Barbar collected two hits in the inning, with a single and a double. Andrews hit a pair of doubles in the inning, including a three-run double. Brown had a pair of hits, including a double. Figueroa reached base safely twice, including a triple to centerfield.
Wheaton added three runs in the bottom of the third inning, highlighted by a two-run single for Barbar.
Wheaton returns to Ruth Leedy Field on Tuesday at 3:00 p.m. for a doubleheader against Monmouth College.
