OGLESBY, Ill. — Milwaukee Area Technical College baseball snapped a three‑game skid with an 8–6 win in Saturday's opener at Illinois Valley before falling 19–0 in five innings in Game 2, earning a road split that moved the Stormers to 19–30 overall.

MATC built an 8–0 lead through four innings in Game 1 and held off a late IVCC push after the Eagles scored six runs across the fifth and sixth. The momentum flipped immediately in the nightcap, where Illinois Valley struck for eight runs in the bottom of the first and limited the Stormers to one hit in a five‑inning run‑rule finish.

"We just have to throw strikes in Game 2 against IVCC," MATC head coach Caleb Bounds said. "We gave them way too many free passes and they were able to execute."

GAME 1: Stormers 8, Illinois Valley 6
MATC spent the first four innings of Saturday's opener playing in complete control, building an 8–0 cushion that ultimately proved just large enough to withstand Illinois Valley's late charge in an 8–6 win that snapped the Stormers' three‑game skid.

MATC's early surge came from a mix of pressure, patience and one big swing. After a scoreless first, the Stormers loaded the bases to open the second and immediately forced Illinois Valley onto its heels. A wild pitch and an RBI groundout pushed across the first two runs before Easton Morehouse delivered the inning's defining blow when he barreled a two‑run homer to right that capped a four‑run frame.

The Stormers kept applying pressure. Carson Sieler's leadoff double in the third turned into a run on Tyler Lee's RBI single, and another wild pitch made it 6–0. In the fourth, Hayden Fellows lifted a sacrifice fly and Lee added another RBI single to stretch the lead to 8–0.

On the mound, Manny Sostre navigated traffic with poise across four innings, allowing four hits and four walks but no earned runs. Fellows ended the first inning with a backpick at third, and Sostre induced a double play in the second before stranding two more runners in the third.

The game tightened once the bullpen took over. Zakary Vanlerberghe inherited a bases‑loaded, no‑outs jam in the fifth and limited the inning to one run, but Illinois Valley broke through in the sixth. A defensive miscue brought home a run, and a two‑out, three‑run homer cut the lead to 8–6.

Max Nottingham handled the seventh with composure, striking out two and working around a dropped third strike to secure the save.

Morehouse led the Stormers with a two‑run homer. Sieler added two hits and scored twice, while Lee finished with two singles, two RBIs and two runs. Fellows added an RBI single, and Gavin Garnica reached four times on three walks and a single. Sostre earned the win, and Nottingham recorded the save.

GAME 2: Illinois Valley 19, Stormers 0 (5 inn.)
Illinois Valley overpowered MATC in every phase in the nightcap, limiting the Stormers to one hit and capitalizing on 10 walks, three hit batters and five MATC errors in a 19–0, five‑inning finish. MATC's only hit came on a leadoff single from Easton Morehouse in the top of the first, while Carson Sieler, Hayden Fellows, Tyler Lee, Gavin Garnica and Blake Bugher each reached once on walks.

Stormers starter Nolan Litkowiec faced the brunt of the early damage, recording two outs while allowing eight runs (four earned) on five hits and two walks. Illinois Valley continued to apply pressure against the bullpen, as Jerry Vasek, Alex Dvorak and Connor Ziman combined for the remaining 4.1 innings. Ziman delivered the steadiest stretch, working 1.1 innings with two unearned runs, two hits, no walks and two strikeouts.

Illinois Valley's offense needed little help but took full advantage of the extra baserunners, finishing with nine hits and scoring in all four innings to even the doubleheader.