OAK CREEK, Wis. — On a day built for displaying development and depth, MATC split a home doubleheader with Wisconsin Lutheran College JV on Tuesday, winning the opener 8–7 in nine innings before falling 9–7 in the nightcap.

Steady rain fell until the 3 p.m. first pitch, leaving the field soaked for Game 1 and turning the opener into a grind that demanded contributions from across the roster. Using the doubleheader as a chance to extend innings for players who do not normally start, MATC opened both games with a non‑traditional lineup and rotated heavily throughout the afternoon. Twenty‑two players appeared in the opener and 14 more in Game 2. The slow pace of the first game pushed the nightcap deep enough that the final innings were played under the lights, closing a long but productive day for the Stormers.

"We made some mistakes early on the basepaths, but in the clutch time, all of our players came in and were ready," MATC head coach Joe Kuntner said after Game 1. "We definitely had that next‑lady‑up mentality, and they all contributed today."

Game 1: MATC 8, Wisconsin Lutheran JV 7 (9 innings)
In wet and slippery conditions, MATC leaned on a total‑team effort in the opener, scoring seven of its eight runs in the final two innings to erase a late deficit. The comeback ended in dramatic fashion when Jayden Moss turned on a 2–1 pitch and sent a two‑run homer to left‑center for an 8–7 walk‑off win.

"It was just a team effort," Moss said. "Everyone contributed. People got on base, but we couldn't knock them in, but eventually we did when it counted most."

The opener became a marathon of missed chances, defensive grit and late‑inning swings before MATC finally broke through in extras. Starter Nevaeh Folk battled through traffic for four innings, allowing one earned run on four hits with four strikeouts. She stranded the bases loaded in the second and worked out of another jam in the fourth by striking out two straight with runners on second and third.

Wisconsin Lutheran opened the scoring with a leadoff triple and sacrifice lineout in the first. MATC answered in the bottom half when Moss singled with two outs, advanced on a passed ball and scored on an errant pickoff throw to center field.

Both teams missed opportunities through the middle innings. MATC put runners on the corners in the second but was thrown out at the plate on an aggressive attempt to score, then stranded two more in both the fifth and sixth. Folk settled in after a clean third inning and worked through the entire fourth before handing the ball to Amira Baldon to begin the fifth. Baldon threw three innings and allowed five runs, three earned, with three strikeouts.

Wisconsin Lutheran moved ahead 3–1 in the fifth on an RBI double and a two‑out single through the left side, then added another run in the seventh when a leadoff error came around to score on a sacrifice fly.

Down 4–1 entering the bottom of the seventh, MATC finally broke through. Emma Roeper walked to start the inning, and Ava D'Acquisto entered to pinch‑run. D'Acquisto advanced to second on a wild pitch and scored on an RBI single from Mia Carani. Sommer Beckman pinch‑ran for Carani, moved to second on another wild pitch and reached third when Moss reached on an infield error. Emily Pujanauski followed with a grounder to short that resulted in a throwing error, allowing Beckman and Moss to score while Pujanauski advanced to second to tie the game 4–4. Aniesa Neave came on to pinch‑run and moved to third on a walk to Rylyn Paulick, but a strikeout and a fielder's‑choice out at the plate ended the inning with two runners stranded.

Both teams began the eighth with a runner on second and one out under extra‑inning rules. Wisconsin Lutheran capitalized first, turning a leadoff single into first and third before hitting a three‑run homer to center off reliever Brooke Peters. Peters recovered quickly and struck out the next two hitters to limit the damage.

"Of course our energy was a little down, trailing by three in the bottom of the eighth inning, but our hope was up and we came in and did what we had to do in order to pull off the win," Moss said.

Trailing 7–4, MATC answered with its most productive inning of the day. Zoey Murph opened on second and scored on a passed ball during Lily Dermyer's plate appearance, which ended in a sacrifice fly. With two outs, Beckman singled to extend the inning and bring Moss to the plate. Moss delivered the decisive swing, sending a towering two‑run shot to left‑center to complete the comeback. "I was just thinking about how hard my team worked to get back into the game, so my mentality was to go out there and finish things off for everybody," Moss said. Moss finished 3‑for‑5 with a home run, three runs scored and two RBIs. Beckman added two singles, a walk and two runs scored. Murph went 2‑for‑4 with a run. Folk, Carani and Emily Hansard each added a single. Peters earned the win with two strikeouts in her lone inning of work.

Game 2: Wisconsin Lutheran JV 9, MATC 7
The nightcap turned into a long, grinding contest that carried into the lights, and despite an 11‑hit effort and a late push, MATC fell 9–7 in the second game of the doubleheader.

Wisconsin Lutheran produced 12 hits and scored in five different innings, taking advantage of five MATC defensive errors to build steady separation. The Stormers countered with runs in four innings and brought the tying run to the plate in the seventh but could not complete the comeback.

Jordan Hanserd started for MATC and worked 3.1 innings, allowing three earned runs on seven hits with no walks. Lily Dorado followed with 1.2 innings and allowed two unearned runs, and Chloe Lago handled the final two frames, giving up four runs, two earned.

Wisconsin Lutheran threatened early but did not score until the second, when an RBI double opened a 1–0 lead. MATC answered in the bottom half. Murph singled to start the inning, advanced on a tag‑up and a passed ball, and scored on a Hayley Beckman single to center.

A solo home run in the third put Wisconsin Lutheran back in front, and a double followed by an RBI single stretched the margin to 3–1. MATC went down in order in the bottom half.

Wisconsin Lutheran added to its lead in the fifth with an RBI single, but the Stormers responded with run‑scoring hits from Pujanauski and Murph to close the gap to 5–3. A sixth‑inning RBI single pushed the deficit to 7–3 before MATC answered with a fielder's‑choice run to make it 7–4.

Two more runs scored for Wisconsin Lutheran in the seventh on a single aided by three MATC errors, extending the lead to 9–4.

MATC made one last charge in the bottom of the seventh. Dorado walked to open the inning, Moss singled, and Pujanauski drove in a run with a double to left. Murph followed with an RBI groundout, and Beckman added an RBI double to bring the Stormers within 9–7. The rally ended on a strikeout, leaving the tying run on deck.

UP NEXT
MATC (8–14) returns to the road Friday for a doubleheader at Harper College in Palatine, Ill. First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m., with Game 2 to follow at 5 p.m.