Information courtesy of Adam Hussman/MLC SID

NEW ULM — The Martin Luther College softball team celebrated its 2024 seniors (Jordyn Heckendorf, Emma Mindock, Hannah Rassat, Olivia Siehr) this weekend during a sunny three-game series with Minnesota Morris.

The Cougars defeated MLC 7-1 on Friday and then won 11-3 and 5-3 in two more games on Saturday.

UMM 11, MLC 3

On Saturday morning, the Cougars’ bats came alive and posted two runs in the first, second, and third inning for the 6-0 advantage.

The Knights’ first run of the game came from a Chloe Berg RBI single up the middle in the bottom of the first. The Knights put together two more runs in the bottom of the fifth to cut it to 8-3 after Heckendorf scored on a passed ball. Berg drove in the other run with a sacrifice fly to right field.

Following the MLC runs, the Cougars tacked on a pair of insurance runs in the sixth frame to secure the 11-3 victory over MLC.

Minnesota Morris outhit the Knights 10-3 but benefited heavily from six MLC errors out in the field. Skyla Bristol earned the win on the mound for the Cougars, after her eight strikeout complete game performance.

Jessica Horn got the start for the Knights and the junior allowed six runs (five earned) in three innings pitched. Hoffer threw the other three frames and gave up five runs (no earned).

UMM 5, MLC 3

In Saturday’s second game of the day, the Knights gave their best performance of the conference season in the 5-3 loss.

The Cougars scored a run in the first and third inning (2-0), while the Knights evened up the score 2-2 with a run in the fourth and fifth inning. Olivia Siehr got MLC in the scoring column in the fourth with an RBI double to left center field and Berg singled to center field for the tying run.

Sierra Stevens broke the 2-2 tie with an RBI single to left field (4-2), while Thornton manufactured an insurance run (5-2) with her RBI ground out. Berg gave MLC a shot at a comeback in the bottom of the seventh with her RBI ground out to make it 5-3, but Morgan Wilhelm forced Katie Rassat into a grounder to second base for the final out of the ball game.

Horn had her best start on the hill, surrendering five runs (two earned) in seven innings of work. Heckendorf, Hoffer, and Berg all recorded multi-hit games, as Berg finished with another multi-RBI contest.

MLC will now shift its focus towards another three-game series with UW-Superior on the road. The two teams will go at it on Tuesday, April 16, at 2 p.m. for a single game and then complete the series with a doubleheader on Wednesday, April 17.