MADISON, Wis. — Milwaukee Area Technical College baseball couldn't overcome a steady stream of free passes Tuesday, dropping both games of a road doubleheader at No. 7 Madison College, 5–1 and 12–6. The pair of road losses moved the Stormers to 18–28 overall as they continue their late‑season push through Region 4 play.
Madison capitalized on 21 combined walks and hit‑by‑pitches across the two games, turning extended innings into six free runs in the nightcap alone. MATC generated scoring chances in both contests, but left key runners aboard while the nationally ranked WolfPack controlled the pace throughout.
"I thought we did a great job competing today," MATC head coach
Caleb Bounds said. "We played really good defense and the offense showed up, but unfortunately we need to play clean baseball in all three facets of the game. We gave Madison way too many free passes and when you do that against a really good team they are able to capitalize."
Game 1: No. 7 Madison 5, Stormers 1
MATC matched No. 7 Madison College through the early innings but couldn't overcome a pair of big WolfPack swings and a costly stretch of free passes in a 5–1 loss to open Tuesday's doubleheader. The Stormers created multiple scoring chances but stranded runners at second or third in two different innings while Madison capitalized on its limited opportunities.
MATC starter
Bralen Mitcham delivered a competitive outing, working 4.0 innings and allowing three earned runs on five hits and one walk with three strikeouts.
Vince Cameranesi followed with a clean fifth inning, then returned for the sixth but issued three straight walks before being lifted with the bases loaded and no outs.
Connor Ziman entered and allowed an RBI fielder's‑choice grounder and another RBI groundout before picking off the runner at second to end the inning. Though two runs scored, Ziman recorded all three outs to prevent the inning from escalating further.
Both teams traded scoreless frames early. Mitcham opened with a 1‑2‑3 first inning, and the Stormers matched it in the top of the second. Madison threatened with a leadoff double in the second and a leadoff walk in the third, but Mitcham stranded both runners at second.
The WolfPack finally broke through in the fourth. A one‑out single set the stage for a two‑run homer to left, and Madison immediately followed with a double and an RBI single to push the lead to 3–0.
MATC answered in the fifth.
Blake Bugher drew a one‑out walk, advanced to third on an infield error, and later stole home to cut the deficit to 3–1.
The Stormers nearly pulled closer in the sixth when
Carson Sieler ripped a one‑out double and reached third, but he was stranded after a pair of outs ended the inning.
Madison added insurance in the bottom half. After Cameranesi's three straight walks loaded the bases, Ziman induced a fielder's‑choice RBI groundout and another RBI groundout, extending the WolfPack lead to 5–1. MATC went down in order in the seventh.
Offensively, Sieler paced the Stormers by going 3‑for‑3 with a double.
Hayden Fellows and
Easton Morehouse each added singles, while Bugher scored MATC's lone run after drawing a walk in the fifth.
Game 2: No. 7 Madison 12, Stormers 6
MATC out‑hit No. 7 Madison College 12–6 in the nightcap but couldn't overcome a flood of free passes in a 12–6 loss that completed the sweep. The Stormers issued 13 walks and hit three batters, allowing the WolfPack to generate six runs on RBI walks or hit‑by‑pitches alone.
"We had fewer errors and way more hits than Madison, but in Game 2 we gave them 13 free passes," Bounds said. "You're never going to win games when you give up that many free bases."
Madison jumped ahead immediately in the first, taking advantage of three walks, a hit‑by‑pitch and a defensive miscue to plate three runs on an RBI single, an RBI walk and an RBI hit‑by‑pitch. MATC threatened in the second with singles from
Austin Arnold and
Hayden Fellows, but a fielder's choice ended the inning.
A leadoff walk in the second turned into an RBI double for Madison and a 4–0 lead. MATC answered in the third when
Easton Morehouse singled and later scored on an outfield error during
Jaiden Jung's single, trimming the deficit to 4–1.
The Stormers continued to create chances.
Tyler Lee singled to open the fourth and reached third, but was stranded. Madison added two more in the bottom of the fourth. A leadoff double eventually came around to score on a wild pitch, and an RBI fielder's choice later in the inning pushed the WolfPack lead to 6–1.
MATC mounted its strongest push in the fifth, scoring three runs on three hits and an error. Jung sparked the rally with a two‑out double, followed by a
Carson Sieler single. Fellows reached on an error that scored two runs, and Lee added an RBI single to make it 6–4 before a flyout ended the inning.
The bottom of the fifth proved decisive. Madison loaded the bases on a walk, single and walk before scoring on an RBI hit‑by‑pitch and back‑to‑back RBI walks to extend the lead to 9–4. After a strikeout, a two‑RBI single made it 11–4. Another walk and another RBI hit‑by‑pitch pushed the margin to 12–4 before a groundout ended the inning with the bases still loaded.
MATC threatened again in the sixth with back‑to‑back singles from Arnold and
Riley Emons, but three straight outs ended the inning. Ziman entered in the bottom half and fired a 1‑2‑3 frame.
The Stormers added late offense in the seventh when
Blake Bugher launched a two‑out, two‑run homer to score Lee, who had singled one batter earlier.
Lee went 3‑for‑4 with an RBI and a run scored to lead the Stormers at the plate. Arnold added a pair of singles, while Jung contributed two hits, including a double. Bugher chipped in the two‑run blast.
On the mound,
Alex Dvorak worked 3.0 innings and allowed four runs (one earned) on two hits, one hit‑by‑pitch and six walks.
Jerry Vasek followed with one inning, surrendering seven earned runs on three hits, five walks and one hit‑by‑pitch.
Colton Schall threw one inning, giving up one earned run on one hit and two walks with two strikeouts, while Ziman closed the game with a scoreless, 1‑2‑3 inning of relief.
UP NEXT
MATC (18–28) returns to action Thursday with another road matchup against Bryant & Stratton College, with the first pitch set for 1 p.m. at Wisconsin Brewing Company Park in Oconomowoc.
