Carol Stream, Ill.- An early offensive outburst was just enough for the Thunder baseball team to win its fourth straight game on Friday night at Lee Pfund Stadium. The Thunder struck for six runs in the bottom of the first inning and added another run in the bottom of the third to take a 7-0 lead that would last until the top of the eighth inning. The Cardinals of Saint Mary's University rallied with three in the eighth and three in the ninth to come within a run but Andrew Bayer slammed the door on the rally, leaving the tying run on third base to end the game. Wheaton will face Saint Mary's again at 2 PM on Saturday and will follow that with a 5 PM matchup against Edgewood College at Lee Pfund Stadium.

Evan Rahn earned the win with seven dominant innings on a blustery evening. Rahn scattered just three hits and walked only one while striking out eight Cardinals. Daniel Bayer was tagged for five earned runs in an inning of work and John Schmitz surrendered a run in a third of an inning. Andrew Bayer earned his fourth save of the season by retiring the only two hitters he faced.

Despite surrending six runs in the first, Ben Johnson went the distance for Saint Mary's, giving up 11 hits and walking just one. Johnson struck out five in the outing. Kevin GAnnon and Ben Buerkle each had two hits for the Cardinals with Buerkle driving in two runs.

Following a one-out walk to Matt Schappell in the bottom of the first, Justin Swider doubled to right field to put runners on second and third. Trey Martin's single plated Schappell and Swider scored on John Jensen-Johnson's RBI groundout.

With two outs, Kyle Mellinger's single scored Martin from second, Mellinger and Jake Portugal each scored on Taylor Howe's single to left and Howe came around to score on Johnny Peltz' triple off the wall in left field to give Wheaton a 6-0 lead after the first frame.

Howe (PICTURED RIGHT) drove home another run in the home half of the third on a two-out infield single to give the Thunder a seven-run advantage.

Saint Mary's struggled to mount a threat in the middle inning, twice having innings ended on double plays while Rahn struck out the side in the fourth inning.

In the top of the eighth the Cardinals used a pair or walks and a big two-out double by Ben Buerkle to cut Wheaton's lead to 7-3 after eight innings. A pair of wild pitches allowed Saint Mary's to score two runs in the top of the ninth and an RBI triple to center by Willie Doll put the tying run on third base with only one out. Andrew Bayer got a groundout and a flyout from the only two hitters he faced to close the game and earn the save.

Note Worthy: With the victory, Evan Rahn moved passed Steve Dennison (2008-11) into second place on the all-time wins list with his 18th career victory...by improving to 4-0 this season, Rahn joins Darrell Thompson of Shenandoah College and Justin Jenkins of LeTourneau University as the only three pitchers in Division III to have a 4-0 record in four starts this season.