ROCHESTER, Minn. - The Martin Luther College softball team put together its two best performances of the young season in the final day of games at the Rochester Dome, but was unable to come up with a win in games against Saint Mary's and Macalester on Saturday. The Knights lost the morning game to SMU by the score of 6-2, and then fell 4-2 in the afternoon against Macalester.

SMU 6, MLC 2

Saint Mary's scored six runs in the first three innings on the way to a 6-2 win Saturday morning.

The Knights opened the scoring in the top half of the first inning with a Kelli Doell single that scored Jessica Friebe, but the Cardinals responded with two runs in the bottom half of the inning, and then four more runs in the third frame to take a 6-1 lead.

MLC starting pitcher Amanda Schoch held SMU at six, but the Knights were only able to add one more run thanks to a double by Megan Lemke that scored Friebe in the fifth inning.

Schoch fell to 0-2 on the season in defeat after allowing all six runs on ten hits and five walks in 5.0 innings.

Friebe finished as the top hitter for MLC, scoring both runs to go with two hits and one stolen base. Lemke also added a pair of hits for the Knights.

Macalester 4, MLC 2

Macalester pulled ahead with a pair of runs in the fifth inning to top the Knights 4-2 in their second game of the day.

The Scots scored twice in the first inning, but the Knights tied the game with one run in both the second and third innings. Olivia Knudsen singled home Kayla Rosenbaum in the second frame, and Lemke tied the game in the third with a sacrifice fly that scored Friebe.

Macalester was able to take the lead with a pair of runs in the fifth inning off MLC starting pitcher Kathryn Marquardt, however, and then held the Knights off the board the rest of the game to preserve the win.

Marquardt went the distance for MLC, allowing four runs (three earned) on nine hits in 7.0 innings. She fell to 0-4 on the season with the loss.

Friebe, Doell, Knudsen, Audrey Timm and Cassandra Doering each finished with one hit for MLC.

The Knights fell to 0-8 on the season in defeat, and will return to action at the Plymouth Creek Dome on Friday, March 18. MLC will play three games that day, starting with a 10 a.m. game against Maranatha Baptist.