Wheaton, Ill. – The Wheaton Thunder softball team hosted the University of Olivet on Saturday afternoon at Ruth Leedy Field. The Thunder swept the Comets with a pair of 10-2 victories that each lasted five innings. Today's sweep gives Wheaton a three-game winning streak as the 'Orange and Blue' have won seven of their last eight contests.
In today's game-one victory, the Thunder scored 10 runs, on 11 hits, with one error and Olivet tallied two runs, on three hits, with four errors.
Victoria Barbar started the game, pitching 2-2/3 innings. She allowed two runs, on two hits, with two strikeouts.
Kennedy Kemp earned the victory in 2-1/3 innings of scoreless relief as she held the Comets to one hit, with one strikeout.
Olivia Nahorniak was 3-for-3, with two runs, two RBI and two stolen bases. Right fielder
Abby Whitehead was also 3-for-3 with three RBI, scoring twice as she hit a home run.
Livi Figueroa was 2-for-3 with two runs scored and two RBI.
Wheaton took the early 2-0 lead with two runs in the bottom of the first inning. Nahorniak led off the first with a single and she scored when
Abie Brown drove her in. Whitehead hit a single that was misplayed in centerfield and allowed the Thunder outfielder to score on the play. The Comets tied the game at 2-2 with two runs in the top of the third inning.
The Thunder offense scored seven runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to regain the lead with a 9-2 lead for the hosts. The scoring started with a RBI double by
Soleil Weaver. Figueroa drove in a run with a bunt-single. Nahorniak followed with a two-run single to right centerfield. Whitehead blasted a three-run homer down the leftfield line as the ball stayed just inside fair territory as it went over the leftfield fence.
Figueroa hit a solo home run over the leftfield fence in the bottom of the fifth inning to give Wheaton the 10-2 victory and the eight-run lead needed to win the game via the run-rule.
Wheaton won the nightcap 10-2 as the Thunder scored 10 runs, on eight hits, with one run, and Olivet tallied two runs, on six hits, with four errors. Thunder starting pitcher
Iris Jones pitched 1-2/3 innings, allowed two runs, including one earned run, on four hits, with one strikeout.
Shylah Dozeman pitched 3-1/3 scoreless innings, scattering two hits, with five strikeouts.
Kemp was 3-for-3, with two RBI and one run scored.
Paige Andrews was 2-for-3, with three RBI as she hit a pair of doubles, including the game-ending hit. Nahorniak was 2-for-4, scoring twice with a double.
Olivet broke a scoreless tie with two runs in the top of the second inning to take a 2-0 lead. The Thunder responded in the bottom of the second inning with six runs to gain a 6-2 lead. Kemp and Figueroa scored runs on an Olivet error to tie the game at 2-2. Dozeman drove in a run on a bun, Nahorniak scored on an Olivet error and Andrews drove in a run with a double to right centerfield.
The Thunder scored twice in the bottom of the fourth inning on a two run-single by Kemp to extend the hosts' lead to 8-2. Andrews stepped up to the plate with the bases load and she belted a double to left centerfield to drive in the two runs necessary to end the game.
Wheaton starts CCIW play on Tuesday with a conference doubleheader at Carroll. Wheaton hosts Carthage on Thursday at 3:00 p.m. in the CCIW home opener against the Firebirds.
