OAK CREEK, Wis. — Milwaukee Area Technical College baseball closed its weekend with a split against Oakton College on Sunday, dropping the opener 10–4 before responding with an 8–6 win in Game 2 at the Oak Creek Campus. The split moved the Stormers to 18–26 overall and 11–11 at home.
Oakton controlled the opener from the start with a four‑run second inning and never trailed, but MATC answered with one of its most resilient offensive efforts of the season in the nightcap. The Stormers erased an early 2–0 deficit with a five‑run second inning and scored six of their eight runs with two outs, using timely hitting and improved approaches to secure the bounce‑back win.
"That was huge to bounce back and salvage the split," MATC head coach
Caleb Bounds said. "We've done a good job the last couple of days getting back on the saddle and winning Game 2. It's a really nice win against a really good team in Oakton, and our bullpen did a really good job."
Game 1: Oakton 10, Stormers 4
Oakton seized control early and never let go, using a four‑run second inning to set the tone in a 10–4 win. Both teams finished with 10 hits, but Oakton capitalized on its biggest opportunities while MATC stranded 13 runners and couldn't recover from the early deficit.
"We left 13 guys on base, and when you do that, it's really tough to win," Bounds said. "Oakton cashed in on their end. If we cash in even half of those chances, we win the game. The problem was we simply could not cash in."
MATC had a chance to strike first, loading the bases with two outs in the opening inning after an error and two walks, but an inning‑ending groundout kept the game scoreless. Oakton immediately flipped the momentum in the second, loading the bases with a single, hit‑by‑pitch and another single before drawing an RBI walk. A three‑run triple made it 4–0, and although MATC recorded outs on a fielder's choice at the plate and a double play, the damage was already done.
The Stormers continued to create traffic but couldn't convert. A lineout double play erased a one‑out threat in the second, and two more runners were stranded in the third. Oakton extended its lead in the fourth with an RBI single and a fielder's‑choice grounder that should have been a double play but wasn't, pushing the margin to 6–0.
MATC broke through in the bottom half when
Austin Arnold doubled and later scored on a two‑out RBI double from
Easton Morehouse. Oakton answered again in the fifth with a solo homer and a two‑out RBI double to make it 8–1, though the runner was thrown out stretching for third on a strong relay from
Blake Bugher.
The Stormers mounted their best push in the fifth.
Gavin Garnica and Bugher delivered back‑to‑back RBI singles to cut the deficit to 8–3, and MATC later loaded the bases with two outs. Morehouse sent a sharp liner to center, but it was tracked down to end the inning with more runs left on the table.
Oakton added two more in the sixth on a misplayed ball in the outfield that resulted in an inside‑the‑park two‑run play, officially scored as a single with an error. Morehouse added a two‑out RBI single in the seventh to score Bugher, who reached on a dropped third strike, but
Brady Johnson was thrown out at the plate trying to score from second on the same play, ending the game.
Trey Jones took the loss, allowing eight earned runs on nine hits with two walks and two strikeouts over five innings.
Jerry Vasek allowed two runs (one earned) in the sixth, and
Connor Ziman worked a scoreless seventh despite issuing two walks.
Morehouse went 2‑for‑5 with a double and a team‑high two RBIs to pace the Stormers. Johnson added two hits, including a double in the seventh.
Carson Sieler reached three times on two singles and a hit‑by‑pitch, scoring once. Garnica and Bugher each contributed RBI singles.
Game 2: Stormers 8, Oakton 6
MATC flipped the script in the nightcap, turning timely hitting and shutdown relief into an 8–6 win to earn the split. The Stormers erased an early 2–0 deficit with a five‑run second inning, added three more in the third and held off a late Oakton push to close out the victory.
"I think the key for us was going up there with an approach," Jung said. "The previous days we watched too many first‑pitch fastballs for strikes and got behind in counts. Today we attacked the zone early."
Oakton scored single runs in the first and second innings on leadoff hits and RBI groundouts, but MATC responded immediately. Lee reached on an infield error to start the second, and Garnica followed with an RBI double. Singles from Bugher and Arnold — along with a wild pitch during Arnold's bunt single — tied the game. With two outs and the bases loaded, Sieler lined a two‑RBI single to give MATC a 4–2 lead, and Fellows reached on an error that allowed another run to score, capping a five‑run inning built almost entirely on two‑out execution.
Oakton briefly tied the game at 5–5 in the third, but the Stormers answered again. Garnica drew a leadoff walk, and after two quick outs, Emons ripped an RBI double to reclaim the lead. A hit‑by‑pitch to Morehouse extended the inning, and Jung followed with a two‑RBI double to left to stretch the margin to 8–5.
From there, MATC's bullpen took over. Freshman right‑hander
Charlie Cefalu entered with two outs in the fourth, issued a hit‑by‑pitch to put two on, and then escaped the jam by striking out the next hitter on a dropped third strike. He went on to throw 2.1 scoreless innings, allowing two hits with four strikeouts to earn the win.
"I thought Cefalu was locked in the entire time he was out there," Jung said. "We just had to get his back offensively."
Bounds praised the team's two‑out production, which accounted for six of the eight runs.
"That's been one of our big issues early in games — not finishing innings," Bounds said. "To do that with two outs was huge. It makes it really tough on teams when they can't put you away. We did a great job in the second and third innings making adjustments and cashing in."
Nolan Litkowiec started and worked 3.2 innings, allowing five earned runs on five hits with four strikeouts and two walks.
Max Nottingham handled the seventh and worked around two errors to lock down the save. After picking off the leadoff runner at first, the next hitter reached on an error, followed by a single and an RBI single that cut the lead to 8–6. With runners on first and second and one out, Nottingham steadied the inning by securing a foul‑territory popup himself and then inducing a groundout to end the game.
Sieler led the offense, finishing 3‑for‑3 with three singles, two RBIs and a walk. Jung added two hits, including a two‑RBI double, and scored once. Emons' go‑ahead RBI double in the third broke the 5–5 tie, while Garnica reached twice on a double and a walk and scored once.
UP NEXT
MATC (18–26) hits the road Tuesday for a pivotal doubleheader at No. 8 Madison College, with first pitch set for 2 p.m. in Madison and Game 2 to follow at approximately 4:30 p.m.
