AUBURNDALE, Fla. - The Martin Luther College baseball team salvaged a split in its doubleheader against Central College on Sunday to earn its first win of the season on day three of its annual Florida trip. The Knights lost game one 15-2, but came back to win game two 3-2.

Central 15, MLC 2

Central jumped on the Knights early and didn't relent on the way to a 15-2 win in game one.

The Dutch smashed a pair of two-run home runs off MLC starting pitcher Andrew Deisinger (0-1) in the first inning, and scored at least two runs in five of the seven innings wih the help of 12 hits and seven MLC free passes. Deising took the loss after allowing eight runs (seven earned) on eight hits in 4.0 innings.

Caleb Christopher and Nate Goelzer picked up the two runs batted in for MLC in the game, with Goelzer also leading the team with a pair of hits.

MLC 3, Central 2

First-year starting pitcher Michael Fromm threw a complete game gem in his first collegiate start to lead MLC to a 3-2 win in game two.

The Dutch scored a pair of runs of Fromm (1-0) in the first inning to take the early lead, but Fromm settled in to throw six shutout innings the rest of the way to earn his first career win. In seven innings, Fromm scattered seven hits and three walks while allowing only the two runs. 

The Knights manufactured runs in the second and third innings to tie the game 2-2, and then took a one-run lead in the fifth on a Christopher two-out RBI double that scored Tyler Roecker, who started the rally with a walk.

That was all the support Fromm would need, as he shut down the Dutch line-up in order in the sixth, and then stranded the tying run on second base in the seventh to secure the win. 

Matt Baehman finished with three hits to lead the Knights at the plate, while Adam Kock added a double and scored the team's first run in the second inning.

MLC moved to 1-5 on the season, while Central opened its season 1-1 following the split.

The Knights will return to action tomorrow (Monday, March 11) for its final doubleheader in Florida against Westminster (Pa.). First pitch of game one is scheduled for 11 a.m.