Staff photo by Travis Rosenau Martin Luther College’s Kylie Wolf tags out the University of Northwestern’s Mikayla Gee on her way to second base during the Knights’ home softball doubleheader on Saturday afternoon.

NEW ULM — The University of Northwestern’s third-inning successes at the plate Saturday were enough to earn the Eagles a pair of wins over Martin Luther College in an Upper Midwest Athletic Conference softball doubleheader.

The Eagles took the first game 11-4 before wrapping up the doubleheader with a 12-1 win in Game 2.

UNW scored eight runs during Game 1’s third inning and then pushed 10 runs across in Game 2’s third inning on the way to the sweep.

In the first game of the day, UNW took an early 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning after a two-out, two-run single by Telma Roesler. MLC answered in the bottom of the first in a big way.

After a leadoff single by Jordyn Heckendorf and back-to-back walks by Lisa Hoffer and Kylie Wolf filled the bases, Elena Hoffman brought everyone home on a grand slam to right-center field and gave the Knights a 4-2 lead after one.

UNW got a run back in the second, however, and rocked MLC for eight more in the third to lead 11-4. The third inning was highlighted by Maggie Oehlerking’s two-run double to start the inning’s scoring and Roesler’s two-run triple into left field to end it.

Heckendorf and Wolf both singled in the seventh, but no one was able to bring them home as the Eagles finished with the 11-4 win.

Knights freshman Madison Uhlenbrauck took the loss in the circle in Game 1, pitching all seven innings and allowing eight earned runs on 15 hits and four walks. She struck out one.

Heckendorf led the Knights at the plate in Game 1, going 3 for 4.

Briggs Carlson earned the win for the Eagles in Game 1, pitching all seven innings and allowing eight hits and three walks for four earned runs. She had six strikeouts.

Sydney Lane, Carlson, Roesler and Oehlerking each had two hits for UNW in the Game 1 win.

In the second game of the afternoon, the Eagles started with a 1-0 lead after a two-out RBI single by Roesler. The Eagles added another run in the second on an RBI double by Lane and then broke the game open again with another dominant third inning that saw 10 runs score. The Knights got a run back in the bottom of the third on an RBI single from Wolf but were unable to do any more damage after that.

Emma Heffron got the start in the second game for the Eagles, pitching four innings and allowing one earned run on six hits and a walk. She struck out one.

Mikayla Gee, Lane, Carlson and Roesler each had three hits in Game 2’s win for UNW.

Jessica Horn took the loss for MLC in Game 2, giving up 15 hits and a walk for nine earned runs. Lexi Fischer pitched two innings in relief, giving up two hits.

Hoffer led the Knights at the plate in Game 2, going 2 for 3.

The Knights fell to 1-13 on the year and 0-4 in UMAC play, while the Eagles improved to 10-7 overall and 4-0 in league play. MLC hosts Maranatha Baptist for a doubleheader on Monday afternoon.