JOLIET, Ill. — Milwaukee Area Technical College baseball earned a hard‑fought road split Saturday at Joliet Junior College, dropping the opener 6–4 before responding with a resilient 7–6 victory in Game 2. The Stormers rallied late in both contests and improved to 14–22 overall and 3–15 on the road after securing the split.

MATC saw a 4–4 tie slip away late in the opener after a dropped third strike and a walk set up two JJC runs in the sixth, but the Stormers answered with poise in the nightcap. Tied 6–6 in the seventh, MATC manufactured the go‑ahead run on a wild pitch and then stranded the tying run at second in the bottom half to close out the win.

"It was a good day to get a split," MATC head coach Caleb Bounds said. "We had an opportunity to win both, but we were able to come away with a victory. Overall, we played pretty well. We were able to hit all day. We need to clean up a few things defensively, but we were able to make up for the blunders by swinging it. Our pitchers did a good job competing in the zone and limiting the amount of free passes, which has been a key part of our success this year when we win."

Game 1: JJC 6, Stormers 4
MATC held multiple leads behind a strong outing from ace Jakeb Lequia, but a pair of late defensive miscues proved costly as Joliet rallied for a 6–4 win in the opener.

The Stormers struck first in the top of the first when Jaiden Jung delivered a two‑out RBI double. Joliet answered immediately, using a leadoff single, a double and an RBI single to tie the game before back‑to‑back errors behind the plate allowed two additional runs to score, giving the Wolves a 3–1 lead.

Lequia settled in from there, keeping Joliet quiet through the next three innings while MATC chipped away. The Stormers pulled within 3–2 in the fourth when Bugher walked, advanced on a wild pitch and scored on Peyton Jibben's RBI single. MATC then surged ahead in the fifth as Tyler Lee and Easton Morehouse singled ahead of another two‑run double from Jung, giving the Stormers a 4–3 advantage.

Joliet tied the game in the bottom half, again taking advantage of an MATC error after a single and walk put two runners aboard. Lequia finished his day after five innings, allowing four runs (one earned) on five hits with two walks and two strikeouts.

The Wolves broke the 4–4 tie in the sixth, capitalizing on a dropped third strike and a walk to put two runners on with one out. Both scored without the benefit of a hit — one on a passed ball and the other on a sacrifice fly — giving JJC a 6–4 lead. Reliever Max Nottingham was charged with the loss despite not allowing a hit in his inning of work.

MATC brought the tying run to the plate in the seventh after a one‑out single from Lee, but Joliet closed the door to take the opener.

Game 2: Stormers 7, JJC 6
MATC answered every punch in the nightcap, erasing a three‑run deficit and scoring the go‑ahead run in the seventh to secure a 7–6 victory and the road split.

The Stormers jumped out quickly, taking a 2–0 lead in the first when Jung was hit by a pitch, Bugher singled and Jibben drove in the game's first run with an RBI groundout. Morehouse followed with an RBI single to score Bugher. Joliet responded with a run in the bottom half, but starter Manny Sostra settled in to keep MATC in front through two innings.

JJC surged ahead in the third, taking advantage of free bases and an outfield error to plate three runs and move in front 4–2. MATC cut the deficit to 4–3 in the fifth when Jung singled and later scored on Jibben's RBI single, but Joliet answered with two more unearned runs in the bottom half to extend its lead to 6–3.

The Stormers' offense came alive in the sixth. MATC loaded the bases on two walks and a hit‑by‑pitch before Bugher delivered a two‑RBI single to pull the Stormers within one. Jibben followed with another RBI single to tie the game 6–6, helping complete the three‑run inning.

MATC then carried that momentum into the seventh. Lee opened the frame with a leadoff walk, and Easton Stewart followed with a single to put two aboard. During the next at‑bat, Lee raced home on a wild pitch to give the Stormers a 7–6 lead.

In the bottom half, reliever Connor Ziman was tasked with protecting the one‑run advantage. After allowing a one‑out double, Ziman stranded the tying run at second with a groundout and a lineout to earn the save. The right‑hander worked a scoreless seventh with one hit allowed and one strikeout.

Sostra went four innings, allowing four runs (two earned) on five hits and two walks. Jibben (2-4) covered the fifth and sixth to earn the win in relief, giving up two unearned runs on one hit with two strikeouts before Ziman closed the door.

Jibben went 2‑for‑4 with three RBIs to lead the Stormers' offense. Bugher added two singles, two RBIs and a run scored, while Morehouse collected two singles and an RBI. Jung reached base three times on a single and two hit‑by‑pitches and scored three runs. Stewart chipped in a walk and a single.