Information courtesy of MLC

College softball

FORT MYERS, Fla. — The Martin Luther College softball team scored a split of its final two games of its annual Florida trip on Monday, defeating New Jersey City University (NJCU) 6-4 before losing to Drew University 16-3 in the finale.

MLC 6, NJCU 4

The Knights recorded their first win of the season by the score of 6-4 against NJCU on Monday morning.

Kylie Wolf got the Knights off to a strong start with a solo home run in the first inning, and MLC added two more runs with the help of a Lexi Fischer double to take a 3-0 lead after two.

The Knights added one run in the fifth inning, but NJCU came back to tie the game 4-4 with a pair of runs in the sixth frame.

Staring at the possibility of extra innings, Elena Hoffman hit a two-run home run in the top of the seventh inning to score Wolf to give the Knights the lead once again. In the bottom of the inning, Madison Uhlenbrauck came in and recorded her first career save, stranding the tying run on base.

Jessica Horn (1-3) pitched the first six innings for the Knights and recorded her first career win, allowing four runs (one earned) on seven hits.

Wolf led MLC hitters with three hits and two runs scored.

Drew 16, MLC 3

MLC closed its Florida trip with a 16-3 defeat to Drew University in five innings.

Playing right after the emotional high of the morning win, the Knights struggled from the start against the Rangers as Drew scored three runs in the first inning, and then erupted for 13 combined runs over the second and third frames to take a commanding lead.

The MLC offense scored three runs late with the help of hits by Hoffman and Anna Busch, but it was too late to get back in the game.

Fischer (0-1) started the game on the mound and pitched the first inning for the Knights in defeat.

MLC moved to 1-7 on the season following the split. The Knights will try to build off their weekend in Florida later this month, when they return to action for a doubleheader against Viterbo on Tuesday, March 29.

College baseball

AUBURNDALE, Fla. — The Martin Luther College baseball battled, but could not come away with a win on their final day of competition in Florida as King’s College took both games of a doubleheader by the scores of 10-5 and 7-5 on Monday.

King’s 10, MLC 5

MLC held an early lead, but could not overcome a bad third inning in a 10-5 loss in game one.

The Knights took a 3-1 lead in the second inning thanks to run-scoring hits by Elijah Henning and Jonas Lindemann, but the Monarchs responded with six runs in the third inning helped by three straight two-out base hits that plated four of the six runners.

MLC added two runs in the fourth on two more hits by Henning and Lindemann, but the deficit was too much to overcome.

Michael Fromm (0-2) started the game and pitched five innings for the Knights, allowing all 10 runs (seven earned) on 11 hits. Mason Cox also added two hits and one stolen base in defeat.

King’s 7, MLC 5

The Knights were unable to hold on to a late lead in a 7-5 defeat in Game 2.

The two teams traded runs early and entered the sixth inning tied 4-4. In the top of the sixth, the Knights took a 5-4 lead following an RBI walk by Jordan Ramirez that scored Reagan Moore, but the Monarchs would answer.

After three scoreless innings, King’s finally got to MLC reliever Jonas Lindemann (0-1) in the bottom half of the sixth with three hits and a walk en route to three runs and a 7-5 lead.

MLC had one final at bat in the top of the seventh inning, but went down in order to end the game.

Cox and Moore led the hitters with two hits apiece. Moore and Jackson Lindemann each drove in two runs, while Cox and Zach Klement accounted for four of the Knights’ five runs.

MLC fell to 0-8 on the season with the two defeats. King’s College improved to 2-1 with the sweep.

The Knights will take a break from games when they return back from their spring trip, with their next scheduled doubleheader coming on March 22 at Wartburg.