Tucson, Ariz.- The Wheaton baseball team earned a pair of victories on Monday to improve to 4-2 on the season. Wheaton opened with a 6-4 victory over Wesleyan University and capped its day with a wild 14-13 victory over Bethany Lutheran College in 10 innings. Wheaton has now won its first three games on its annual spring trip and has played five straight games decided by two or less runs. Wheaton will face Wesleyan University again on Tuesday at 11 AM Pacific Time.

In the opener, Wheaton scored one run in each of the first four innings to build a 4-1 lead over the Wesleyan Cardinals. The Thunder built its lead despite having only one hit in the first four frames. Behind the pitching of Evan Rahn (PICTURED RIGHT), Wheaton held its three-run lead until the seventh inning when the Cardinals loaded the bases on three consecutive two-out singles. Rahn responded with an emphatic strikeout to end the threat and maintain the lead.

Wesleyan would get to the Thunder starter for two runs in the top of the eighth inning to cut the deficit to 4-3 heading into the bottom of the eighth inning. A leadoff single by Justin Swider proceded Trey Martin being hit by a pitch. A lineout by John Jensen-Johnson moved both runners into scoring position and set-up Jake Portugal's two-run single into left field that reestablished Wheaton's three-run advantage. Wesleyan was able to get one run in the top of the ninth but Andrew Bayer closed out the game to earn his second save of the season and the 6-4 Thunder victory.

Portugal, Swider and Taylor Howe each had two RBIs in the win. Rahn struck out six and allowed only three earned runs in 7.2 innings of work.