ST. BONIFACIUS — The Martin Luther College softball team opened up play in the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference with a big 10-2 win over the Crown Polars on Wednesday.

The Knights finished with a season-high 15 hits to go with the season-high 10 runs.

Kieghtan Rank (2-8) got the win in the circle for the Knights, now 2-12 overall and 1-0 in the UMAC. She struck out a season-high seven batters and her defense behind her committed no errors to aid her.

Catcher Kaylee Pickering led the Knights at the plate by going 3 for 4 with two doubles and three RBIs, while Sarah Yonkovich also had 3-for-4 day at the plate and three runs scored. Rank was also 2 for 3 at the plate, while Kiara Humann was 2 for 4 with a double and an RBI and Chloe Berg was 2 for 4 with three runs scored. Chloe Koschnitzke, Katelyn Rassat and Rhiannon Schaefer all each had a hit to complete the Knights’ 15-hit day.

The Knights started with a 2-0 lead in the first and added a run in the second before the Polars got a run back in the bottom of the second and third to trail 3-2. The Knights poured it on with a five-run fifth and added three more runs in the sixth to run away with the win.

Rank allowed eight hits and a walk for two earned runs in six innings of work.

Maria Lilienthal, Itzel Valles and Megan Cryer each went 2 for 3 to lead the Polars at the plate, with Cryer and Lilienthal adding an RBI. Brooklyn Riley took the loss for Crown in six innings, allowing 15 hits for eight earned runs while striking out six.

MLC travels back to Crown for a doubleheader on Saturday.