Tucson, Ariz. – The Wheaton baseball team resumed its spring break trip on Monday with a morning matchup against Bethany Lutheran College. The Vikings offense had an early outburst in taking an 11-1 lead and held off a Wheaton rally that saw BLC defeat the Thunder 12-7.

The Vikings scored 12 runs today, on 13 hits and zero errors. Wheaton registered seven runs, on 13 hits, committing three errors. Thunder starting pitcher Jonah Moulton pitched 2-1/3 innings, allowing seven runs, including seven earned runs, on eight hits, with two strikeouts, and zero walks. Billy Kessler pitched 2/3 of an inning of scoreless relief as he walked one and struck out one. Carson Grier made his first appearance of the season in 2/3 of an inning. The freshman allowed four runs, including two earned runs, on four hits, with two strikeouts and one walk. Senior Jack Lindsay tossed 2-1/3 innings of scoreless baseball. He did not allow a hit, struck out three and walked one. Jack Mazurowski pitched two innings, allowing one earned runs, on two hits, with two walks and one strikeout. Caleb Henderson pitched one inning with no hits or runs allowed, one strikeout and two walks.

Jack Gill led the Thunder offense today as he hit 4-for-5, scoring twice. Designated hitter Mason Diel was 2-for-4, with a walk and a RBI. Sophomore Will Clegg hit a home run for the Thunder in the outing. James Scott was hit by three pitches today as he scored twice. Scott currently leads NCAA Division III this season in HBP as he has been hit 14 times this year.  

Each team scored a run in their respective half of the first inning. In the bottom of the first inning, Scott was hit by a pitch, advanced to second on a single by Gill and Scott scored on a RBI-single through the left side of the infield by Charlie Scofield. Bethany Lutheran scored twice in the top of the second and the Vikings added four runs in the third inning to take a 7-1 lead.

The Vikings added four runs in the top of the fourth inning to take an 11-1 lead. Clegg hit a solo home run to right field in the bottom of the fourth inning. Clegg stepped up to the plate with the bases loaded in the bottom of the sixth inning and drove in Gill on a sacrifice fly. Nathan Hedlund hit a RBI-single later in the inning to cut the Vikings' lead to 11-3.

The Thunder added three more runs in the bottom of the seventh to cut the BLC lead to 11-6. Lynam drove in a run when he was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded and then Diel hit a bases-loaded single that brought Scott home and Clegg drove in one run late in the inning. The Vikings added a run in the top of the ninth inning to account for the 12-7 final score.

Wheaton takes on Hamline University tomorrow afternoon at 1:00 p.m. (MST) to continue the week-long trip to Tucson.