Carroll Stream, Ill. --- Picking up their second win in as many days, the Concordia University Chicago baseball team defeated the Wheaton College Thunder on Tuesday evening. The Cougars got out early with a four-run second inning and were able to hold off a late Wheaton rally for the 7-5 victory.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

-         Zach Litke picked up his first win of the season, working 5.1 innings, allowing six hits and two runs while striking out four.

-         Brody Mariotti and Nathan Dewey both had multi-hit games.

-         Tyler Krater and Jaime Sandoval both recorded two RBIs in the contest.

The big inning for Concordia came in the top of the second. Mariotti led off the inning with a single up the middle. After a walk put two on, Nathan Dewey singled up the middle scoring Mariotti. Another walk followed to load the bases. Krater followed with a single to left field scoring two. Sandoval then made it 4-0 CUC with a single, scoring Aidan Donovan.

Wheaton got one run back in the bottom of the second on two hits. Concordia answered with a run of their own in the top of the fifth. With one out Colton Wallace lifted the ball over the left-field fence for his third homer of the season. The long ball extended the CUC lead to 5-1.

The Thunder got a run back in the bottom of the fifth, but CUC had the answer again in the top half of the sixth. Two singles and a walk loaded the bases to open the inning. One out later a sac fly to center made it 6-2 Cougars. CUC added one more run in the inning on an Elijah Hickman single up the middle.

Wheaton tried to fight back in the late innings, picking up a run in the eighth and two in the ninth, but the combination of Vincent Sartori and Mike Tobin was able to subdue the Thunder offense for the 7-5 win.

The Cougars will open play this weekend beginning on Saturday afternoon when the newest NACC member St. Norbert comes to River Forest for a doubleheader. The opening pitch is set for noon. You can find the links to coverage at cucougars.com/coverage.