MANKATO, Minn. - The Martin Luther College softball team was unable to get the offense going in a pair of losses at Bethany Lutheran College on Wednesday by the scores of 7-0 and 1-0.

BLC 7, MLC 0 

The Knights were held to five hits in a 7-0 defeat in game one.

The Vikings opened the scoring with three runs in the second inning, and put the game away with four more runs in the next two innings. 

Defense was an issue for the Knights, as a pair of MLC errors led to three unearned runs off starting pitcher Rebecca Pruss and reliever Kelli Doell. Pruss (2-3) took the loss after allowing four runs (two earned) on seven hits in three innings.

The MLC offense wasn't able to generate anything against BLC starting pitcher Anna Pipenhagen, who held the Knights to five hits and struck out 10 batters in the game.

BLC 1, MLC 0

Pipenhagen returned to once again shut down the MLC line-up in a 1-0 loss in game two.

Morgan Palubicki (2-5) pitched well for MLC, allowing only one run on three hits in 6.0 innings, but took the loss as the Knights were once again held scoreless. 

Pipenhagen held the Knights to four hits and struck out six more hitters in a second straight complete game shutout. Jessica Friebe, Aimee Ashman, Olivia Knudsen and Doell each recorded one hit for MLC.

The Knights fell to 7-10 on the season and 1-3 in UMAC play in two defeats. The Vikings improved to 8-16 overall and 2-2 in league play with the two wins. 

MLC will return to action on Saturday, April 8, when it hosts Northland College in a doubleheader scheduled to start at 1 p.m.