Carol Stream, Ill. – The Wheaton Thunder baseball team opened the home portion of its 2017 season on Friday with a game against Saint Mary's (Minn.) in the opening day of the Wheaton Round Robin tournament. Wheaton (8-3) extended its win-streak to six games with a 5-3 victory against the Cardinals. Saint Mary's (8-4) opened the tournament with a 10-0 victory against Aurora and Aurora (10-2) earned an 8-5 win against Calvin (0-4) in the second game.
The host Thunder rallied with four runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to earn its 5-3 victory against Saint Mary's today. Wheaton scored five runs, on 10 hits, with one error and the Cardinals scored three runs, on 10 hits, with one error.
Thunder starting pitcher Christian Bolhuis (3-0) earned the win in seven innings on the mound today. Bolhius allowed three runs, including two earned runs, on eight hits, with zero walks and eight strikeouts. John Schmitz earned the save in two innings of scoreless relief. Schmitz allowed two hits, with no walks and he struck out two batters.
Jacob Zeller was 2-for-4 at the plate, including the game winning hit – a two-run single in the bottom of the seventh inning that broke a 3-3 tie. Nick Mailman was 2-for-4, with two runs scored; one RBI and he stole a base. Peter Newman was 2-for-3. John McKenna drew three walks and was 1-for-1 at the plate with a double and he scored one run.
A Thunder error in the top of the fourth inning was followed by a two-run double for Saint Mary's as the Cardinals gained a 2-0 lead. Mailman led off the bottom of the fourth inning with a single to centerfield for Wheaton's first hit of the game. Mailman stole second base and scored on a RBI-single through the right side of the infield to drive Mailman home and cut the Cardinals' lead to 2-1. The Cardinals added one run in the top of the sixth inning to give the guests a 3-1 lead.
Newman hit a one-out single through the right side of the infield to start the offense for Wheaton in the bottom of the seventh. Pinch runner Noah Ritchie replaced Newman at first base and he advanced to second base on a walk by McKenna. Catcher Kyle Trivits singled through the middle of the infield, scoring Ritchie and sending McKenna to third base. On the next at bat, Mailman hit a bunt single in front of the plate. The Saint Mary's pitcher fielded the ball, but he was unable to get rid of the ball as McKenna scored to tie the game at 3-3. During the play at home, Trivits alertly realized that no one was covering third base and advanced to the open base, creating an opportunity for Mailman to scamper to the open second base. The alert base running paid off on the next at bat as Jacob Zeller belted a single down the leftfield line that brought Trivits and Mailman home to give the hosts a 5-3 lead.
Schmitz entered the game in the top of the eighth inning and effectively limited the Cardinals to just two a single in the eighth inning and a single in the ninth to earn the save as Wheaton rallied for the win.
The tournament will resume on Saturday at 11:00 a.m. when Saint Mary's faces Calvin at Lee Pfund Stadium. Wheaton takes on Calvin at 2:00 p.m. and the final game of the tournament is Wheaton versus Aurora at 5:00 p.m.