DUNDAS, Minn. - The Martin Luther College softball team opened the 2020 season with a pair of defeats to Carleton College by the scores of 9-1 (six innings) and 17-4 (five innings) at the Dundas Dome on Wednesday.

Carleton 9, MLC 1

The Knights opened the scoring, but could not keep pace with Carleton the rest of the way in a 9-1 loss in six innings.

Rebecca Doering led off the game with a walk and came around to score on a Brittany Denn double later in the inning, but Carleton would take control from there.

Carleton scored twice in the bottom of the first inning, and then added four runs in the second to take a 6-1 lead. After a scoreless third frame, Carleton scored one run in each of the next three innings to secure the win.

Rebecca Pruss (0-1) took the loss on the mound for the Knights after allowing eight earned runs (nine total) in 5.1 innings. Pruss struck out three batters in the game.

Carleton 17, MLC 4

Carleton scored at least two runs in each of its four times at bat on the way to a 17-4 win in five innings in game two.

Carleton scored three times in the first inning, and then added six runs in the second, two in the third, and six more in the fourth. MLC starting pitcher Morgan Palubicki (0-1) pitched the first 3.1 innings before Mykenna Schneiter came in relief to finish the game. Carleton finished with 19 hits in the game, including one home run and six doubles.

MLC scored its two first two runs in the top of the second inning. Madison Ott drove in Elena Hoffman on a groundout to open the scoring, and Savannah Zarling's single later in the inning scored Kelsey Birschbach. 

The Knights then added two more runs in the fifth inning thanks to an error and an RBI-single by Samantha Schoch.

MLC fell to 0-2 to start the season with the two defeats. Carleton improved to 3-1 with the sweep.

The Knights will return to action on Friday, March 6, when they open their eight-game Florida trip with a pair of games.