MADISON, WISC. - The Madison College baseball team avenged their only blemish since returning from their annual Arizona Spring Trip with a come-from-behind walk-off win Friday to beat Highland Community College 4-3 at Robin Roberts Field. Freshman Marcelino Alonso came through with the game-winning hit in the bottom of the ninth to even the regular season series with the Cougars at a win each. The #17-ranked WolfPack are 45-7 all-time against HCC.

Madison College, which dropped a 5-1 contest in Freeport, Illinois, on March 28, took an early 2-0 lead on their home field with a pair of runs in the second inning. With Payton Frehner standing at third base and two outs, Alonso provided his first clutch hit of the day with a single to left to give the Pack the first run of the game. Alonso would advance to second on a wild pitch, and then raced in to score when sophomore Jake Petasek lined a double down the right field line.

Highland Community College (10-14) generated their first run in the top of the fourth to cut the WolfPack lead in half. A hit by pitch to open the inning resulted in a runner on third with two outs for the Cougars, who took advantage with an infield single. Still a one-run game through six innings, HCC pulled even as Madison College went to the bullpen in relief of starter Liam Stumpf. Sophomore Allen Leitner made his return to the hill for the after not pitching since March 9, and on the 11th pitch of his first batter, was taken deep for a solo home run that tied the game at 2-2. Leitner did allow two more base runners, but kept the Cougars off the scoreboard the rest of the inning.

In a tie game, Highland completed their comeback effort in the eighth by taking their first and only lead of the game. Following a lead-off walk by new pitcher Sam Steuber, the Cougars drove in a run with another two-out single to secure a 3-2 advantage. 

Madison College answered in the home half of the ninth with one mighty swing of the bat. Second year utility player Nick Nowak belted the second pitch of his at-bat clear over the left field wall for a solo homer tied the game at 3-3. In the ninth inning, back-to-back walks to Frehner and James Duncan put runners on, and after an infield pop out by Jalen Gellings, Alonso stepped to the plate. The native of Reedsburg, Wisconsin, was facing a full count when he sent a line drive back up the middle and Frehner was able to sprint around third and safely reach home to give the Pack a walk-off victory.

Alsonso finished 2 for 4 to mark his third two-hit game of the season, and drove in a team-high two runs. He also scored a run. Petasek and Charlie Marion also had two hits, with the former producing a run batted in. Nowak's lone hit, run, and RBI resulted from his first homer of the season and the second of his career. Frehner finished the day without a hit, but managed to score a team-best two runs.

Stumpf worked six innings as the starter and held the Cougars to a run on one hit and three walks. The righthander from Dodgeville, Wisconsin, struck out six batters before Leitner took over for his lone inning. Leitner was credited with one run, one hit, one walk, and one K. Steuber (2-0) completed the final two innings to earn his second career win. The righty from Muskego, Wisconsin, he surrendered one earned run on a hit and a walk, while also striking out one.

Madison College (16-7) has now won five straight games and boasts a 12-1 mark since the spring trip. Friday's game was originally scheduled for Thursday; however, forecasted wet weather forced the teams to shift the planned doubleheader to a 1x9 the following day.

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