OAK CREEK, Wis. –  MATC softball wrapped up its Stormers Quad-Invite Sunday by splitting a pair of home games against Dakota County Technical College and Black Hawk.

In a back-and-forth affair in the opener against Dakota County, the Stormers broke a 4-4 tie in the sixth inning to help squeak out a 5-4 victory in seven innings. In its second game against Black Hawk College, MATC suffered a 8-0 defeat in five innings.

As a result of Sunday's contests, the Stormers finished their Quad-Invite with a 3-1 record, helping them improve to 14-17 overall and 8-4 at home.

"We definitely needed something like this to jumpstart the second half of the season and keep the momentum going," MATC head coach Joe Kuntner said of his squad finishing the Quad-Invite 3-1. "It was good to face Black Hawk today, even though we didn't get the win in Game 2."

Game 1: Stormers late-game push leads to close win over Dakota County
MATC picked up its third straight win with a 5-4 victory over Dakota County after taking the lead late. Tied at four runs apiece in the bottom of the sixth, the Stormers managed to pull ahead when Emily Pujanauski barreled an RBI sacrifice-fly to left field, scoring pinch runner Eleanor Henschel, who replaced Mia Carani on the base paths after she drew a leadoff walk.

"Both teams were struggling to break it open," Stormers head coach Joe Kuntner said. "We knew we were going to have to play ABC baseball.

"Fortunately, we didn't get our bunts down today, but we were lucky enough to overcome any adversity we had to secure the victory."

MATC starter Nevaeh Folk didn't have her best stuff, but she managed to keep the game within reach. Folk surrendered three earned runs on five hits while striking out two and walking two over two innings of work.

Up 3-2 through two innings, Folk was quickly pulled in favor of reliever Lily Dorado after Dakota County forced Folk in a bases-loaded no-out situation to open the third. Needing to limit the damage, Dorado came in and did exactly that. The freshman righty recorded three straight outs, but the Blue Knights were able to score a run on an RBI sac-fly to force a 3-3 tie.

"That was the goal," Dorado said of her ability to limit the damage to one-run in the third. "It was to limit as many runs as possible.

"I would have liked to get out of the inning scoreless, but given the situation I had to go into, it was okay to get out of the inning giving up only one run."

A pair of walks to Aniesa Neave and Madi Johnson Hass helped Ava D'Acquisto plate Neave on an RBI single in the fifth to give the Stormers a 4-3 lead. However, the Blue Knights managed to record back-to-back singles in the sixth, which led to a run on an RBI sac-fly to force another tie at four runs apiece.

In the bottom of the sixth, the Stormers used their small ball to regain a 5-4 lead. Mia Carani opened the inning with a leadoff walk. Ensuing hitter Dorado tried to execute a sac-bunt before popping out on her bunt attempt in foul territory. This left coach Kuntner to pinch-run Eleanor Henschel for Carani with one out. With Pujanuski at the plate, Henschel was able to steal second before reaching third on a passed ball, which set up Pujanauski's RBI sac-fly.

Having just retaken a one-run lead headed into the final inning, Dorado shut the door on any comeback attempt by firing a scoreless seventh to seal the 5-4 victory.

STAT BOOK
Pujanauski went 1-for-3 with a single and team-high two RBIs to lead the Stormers with the sticks. Aniesa Neave added two singles, one RBI and a run scored. Zoey Murph had two walks and one double. Dorado finished with two singles and a run scored at the plate while simultaneously picking up the win in relief. She tossed five innings, giving up one earned run on four hits with a pair of strikeouts.

Game 2: Stormers's offense shutout by Black Hawk
MATC had trouble keeping up with the explosive offense by Black Hawk College during an 8-0 defeat in five innings that saw the Braves tally three home runs in a shutout road win.

The Stormers' offense was limited to just two combined hits against Braves' starter Tori Keifer. Ava Marx smacked a double in the bottom of the first and Sophia Hansen recorded a single in the bottom of the third to help total all of MATC's hits on the evening.

"Black Hawk's starter was lights out and there's no doubt about it," MATC head coach Joe Kuntner said. "We just didn't put the barrel on the ball."

MATC's starter Eleanor Henschel took the loss in a valiant effort on the mound, allowing eight runs (seven earned) on a dozen hits while striking out one and walking zero over 4 and ⅓ innings of work.

"Henschel made her pitches, there were just a couple that caught a little bit too much of the plate," Kuntner said. "Black Hawk's hitters made adjustments after their first at bats and they were able to get it over the fence."

All eight of the Braves' runs came on either RBI doubles or home runs. Black Hawk opened the carnage in the first with an RBI double before plating two more runs in the third off back-to-back RBI doubles to help take a 3-0 lead. Henschel then gave up a solo homer in the fourth before surrendering two more home runs in the fifth – a solo homer to Hailee Irby and a three-run blast by Paige Zaehringer.

STAT BOOK
Hansen and Marx  each had one hit apiece to collectively lead the Stormers at the plate. Henschel allowed eight runs (seven earned) in a losing effort over 4 and ⅓ innings. Emma Staudt pitched ⅔ innings of relief, giving up one hit and zero runs.

UP NEXT
MATC (14-17) will host Madison College Tuesday for a doubleheader beginning at 3 p.m.