Wheaton, Ill. – The Wheaton softball team won a pair of games against Wisconsin Lutheran College in walk-off fashion on Wednesday afternoon at Ruth Leedy Field. The Thunder earned a 5-4 win in eight innings in the first game. Wheaton accomplished the doubleheader sweep with a dramatic 9-8 victory as darkness fell in the bottom of the seventh inning of game two.
Wheaton's current eight-game win streak is the longest win streak for the program since a nine-game win streak in 2015. The Thunder improves to 11-5 on the season and Wisconsin Lutheran is now 7-9.
Wheaton won today's first game 5-4 in eight innings. The Thunder plated five runs, on nine hits, with two errors and the Warriors tallied four runs, on six hits, with two errors. Thunder starting pitcher
Shylah Dozeman impressed in the circle as she earned a complete-game win in eight innings of work. She allowed four runs, with just one earned run, on six hits as she struck out three and walked one.
Ava Hartnett was 2-for-4 with a double.
Livi Figueroa hit a home run in her one at bat in the contest.
Wisconsin Lutheran scored an unearned run on the top of the first inning to take an early lead. Figueroa blasted a three-run home run over the left field fence in the bottom of the first as the hosts gained a 3-1 lead.
Wisconsin Lutheran scored one run in the top of the second and added another two runs in the top of the third inning to take a 4-3 lead.
Mia Reinhard hit a RBI-single in the top of the third inning to tie the game at 4-4.
In the bottom of the eighth inning, Wheaton freshman Madeline Hillyer reach safely on a WLC error. She advanced to second base on a single by Dozeman and in the next at bat, Hillyer scored the game-winning run on a pinch hit single through the right side of infield by
Amaya Daniels.
Wheaton won the second game in the bottom of the seventh inning , 9-8. The Thunder scored nine run, on 14 hits, with one error and WLC scored eight runs, on 12 hits, with two errors. Thunder starting pitcher
Dillon Watson tossed 5-2/3 innings as she allowed seven runs, including six earned runs, on 11 hits.
Iris Jones earned the win in 1-1/3 innings of relief as she allowed one runs, on one hit, with one strikeout and one walk.
Mia Reinhard was 3-for-4 with two RBI.
Cate Welch was 2-for-4 with two home runs as she drove in four runs and scored twice.
Nori Kang was 2-for-3, scoring one run.
Abby Whitehead was 2-for-4, scoring three runs, including the game-winning run.
Natalie McCaghren was 2-for-3.
The Warriors scored three runs in the top of the first innings to gain an early 3-0 lead.
Mia Reinhard hit a two-run single in the bottom of the first inning to cut the WLC advantage to 3-2. Welch hit a solo home run in the bottom of the third inning to tie the game at 3-3. Wheaton scored a go-ahead run in the bottom of the fourth inning as
Amaya Daniels drove in
Ava Hartnett to give the hosts a 4-3 lead.
The Warriors took a 6-4 lead with three runs in the top of the sixth inning. Welch hit her second home run of the game in the of the sixth inning. Her three-run blast helped Wheaton regain the lead with a 7-6 advantage.
Next up for the Thunder is a doubleheader at Aurora on Wednesday, April 1. This Saturday's doubleheader at University of Olivet is postponed due to cold weather.
