MADISON, WISC. - One day after suffering their first home loss in over a year, the Madison College baseball team got right back to business with a doubleheader sweep of in-state and Region 4 rival Milwaukee Area Technical College on Tuesday at Robin Roberts Field as they continue a 12-game homestand. The #7-ranked WolfPack secured wins of 5-1 and 12-6 as they took full advantage of 18 walks issued over the two games by Stormers pitchers. The all-time series now sits at 104-16 in favor of the Pack.

Game #1: #7 Madison College 5, Milwaukee Area Technical College 1

Neither team was able to produce a run in the opening game until the bottom of the fourth inning when the WolfPack got one really big swing. With Nate Novinska aboard on second, sophomore rightfielder Quinn Falish crushed a fly ball to left field for a two-run homer. The home run is the third this season for the De Pere, Wisconsin, native, who has hit them all over the past seven game he's appeared in. The inning, however, was not over, and after freshman Casey Wambach followed the long ball with a double to left, first year shortstop Eason Hurd singled to left to plate Wambach for a 3-0 lead. 

Milwaukee Tech notched their only run in the next half inning, using a an error by JJ Wolbert to extend their inning and another by Novinska on a steal attempt to reach home.

The walks began to pile up in the sixth inning as the Stormers loaded the bases on three free passes, and the WolfPack took advantage with back-to-back run-scoring groundouts from Hurd and Matt Gruber to reach a 5-1 differential.

Starting pitcher Axel Donaldson (1-0) secured his first win of the season and seventh of his career, holding Milwaukee Tech to one unearned run on four hits and a walk. Fellow sophomore Landon Dessart picked up his second career save and first this season with two scoreless and hitless innings that featured three strikeouts for the native of Union Grove, Wisconsin.

Novinska finished 2 for 3 with a run scored, while Falish racked up two runs batted in and two runs scored on a hit and a walk. Hurd also drove in a pair of run with a hit and a walk. 

Game #1: #7 Madison College 12, Milwaukee Area Technical College 6

The nightcap saw Madison College take a 3-0 lead in the first inning, which tallied three walks, one hit batter, one hit, and one error. Sophomore Sam Moses singled to right to bring in JJ Wolbert, while first years Casey Wambach and Eason Hurd each picked up a run batted in with a bases loaded walk or hit by pitch, respectively. The advantage grew to 4-0 in the second when Wolbert drew another leadoff walk and was able to score three batters later one a double down the left field line by Nate Novinska. 

Milwaukee Area Technical College (18-28) registered their first run in the third inning when the second of back-to-back base hits was mishandled in right field by Quinn Falish, allowing the runner to race around from first to score.

The WolfPack posted two more runs in the fourth inning. Wolbert led off with a double to right and eventually crossed home on a wild pitch before a walk of Ian Salvesen came back to haunt MATC as he eventually scored on a ground out by Quinn Falish. The five-run lead, however, was trimmed to 6-4 in the top of the fifth with the Stormers getting three runs on three hits and an error, all of which happened with two outs.

Fortunately it was a good day for a stroll, and the Stormers went on to walk or hit Madison College batters seven times in the bottom of the fifth inning. The WolfPack sprinkled in two hits as they scored six runs. Braylen White, Salvesen, Novinska, Falish, and Johan Roloff all picked up a RBI in the inning.

The Stormer made the Pack sweat it out a bit in the seventh with a two-out, two-run homer to make it 12-6 before reliever Charlie Slawinski induced a game-ending pop out to Salvesen in foul territory. 

Despite Milwaukee Tech holding a 12-6 advantage in hits, Madison College took full advantage of 13 walks and three hit batters to score six more runs. Wolbert finished with a career-high four runs scored, to go along with one hit and three walks. White and Salvesen were hitless in the two spots behind Wolbert in the lineup, and yet each scored two times and drove in a run. 

Novinska was tops with two hits as he was 4 for 7 for the day. In game two, he drove in a pair of runs and scored another. Falish drove in a career-best three runs as he was 1 for 3 with a walk. Roloff, a freshman from Delafield, Wisconsin, tallied one hit, one walk, one hit by pitch, one run scored, and one RBI. 

Freshman Tavian Shramek (2-0) struck out five batters over 4.2 innings, giving up three runs, one of which was earned, on seven hits. Sophomore Carter Lund stepped in for 1.1 innings and was tagged for an unearned run on three hits while fanning two. Slawinski pitched the final inning and surrendered two runs on two hits and one K.

Up Next:

Madison College (28-8) continues the homestand on Friday, April 24 with a doubleheader against Sauk Valley Community College (18-20). The WolfPack is 28-8 and riding an 18-game win streak against the Skyhawks. First pitch at Robin Roberts Field is set for 1:00 p.m. The weekend will continue Saturday against the College of DuPage (14-18) and Sunday against #17-ranked Black Hawk College (37-7). The Pack owns a 32-5-1 record all-time against the Chaparrals and is 28-17 all-time facing the Braves. Both doubleheaders will begin at noon. All games will be streamed live at MadisonCollege.tv and live stats are available via the GameChanger app.

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