Carol Stream, Ill. – The Thunder baseball team rallied to earn a 7-6 victory against North Park (14-15, 4-9 CCIW) on Friday night at Lee Pfund Stadium. Wheaton is now 13-7 on the season and 7-6 in CCIW play. The two teams will conclude their series on Saturday afternoon with a 1:00 p.m. doubleheader in Chicago.  

Wheaton scored seven runs, on 11 hits, with two errors and the Vikings plated six runs, on nine hits with two errors. Thunder starting pitcher Peter Moran worked six innings as he allowed five runs, on six hits with three strikeouts. Nick Johnson (3-2) earned the win in one inning of relief. Johnson allowed one unearned run on two hits. Jon Schmitz picked up the save in two innings of scoreless relief as he allowed one hit with one strikeout.

Junior first baseman Kyle Mellinger was 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles as he drove in three runs and scored twice. Johnny Peltz (PICTURED RIGHT) was 2-for-4 with a RBI and a run scored. Centerfielder Josh Kimmel was 2-for-5 with a pair of runs.

Wheaton took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning. Peltz led off the inning with a single and scored on a sacrifice fly by Andrew Laucella. Mellinger hit a RBI-double in the bottom of the third inning to increase Wheaton's lead to 2-0. The Vikings scored a run in the top of the fourth inning to trim the Thunder lead to 2-1.

Matt Krause and Laucella each drove in a run in the bottom of the sixth inning to increase the hosts' lead to 4-1. North Park tallied five runs in the top of the seventh inning to give the Vikings a 6-4 lead. Matt Schappell and Josh Kimmel each collected a two-out single in the bottom of the seventh inning. Schappell and Kimmel scored on the next at bat on a long two-run double to left centerfield by Mellinger to tie the game at 6-6. Mellinger scored the game-winning run on a RBI-single by Peltz.