AUBURNDALE, Fla. - The Martin Luther College baseball team opened the 2020 season with a pair of close defeats to Wartburg College by the scores of 5-3 and 4-3 on Friday.

Wartburg 5, MLC 3

Wartburg came back from a three-run deficit to take game one 5-3.

Adam Kock singled home Aaron Roeseler to open the scoring in the first inning, and the Knights added two more runs in the third following a Caleb Christopher single to take a 3-0 lead.

Wartburg came back to score a pair of runs in the bottom of the third inning off MLC starter Andrew Mantz (0-1), and then scored one run in each of the next three innings on the way to the 5-3 win.

Mantz went the distance for the Knights in his debut, allowing five runs (four earned) on seven hits while striking out two. 

Roeseler led MLC at the plate with two hits, two runs scored and one stolen base.

Wartburg 4, MLC 3

MLC could not get the bats going late after a strong start as Wartburg completed the sweep with a 4-3 win in game two.

Wartburg built an early 3-1 lead, but MLC tied the game in the bottom of the third inning following an RBI-single by Roeseler and a sacrifice fly from Kock. 

The score remained tied until the sixth inning, when Wartburg hit back-to-back doubles off MLC starter Michael Fromm (0-1) to take the lead on the way to the win.

Fromm overcame a slow start to pitch exceptionally well in his season debut. After allowing three runs in the first two frames, Fromm retired 16 of the final 18 batters he faced in a complete game effort. He allowed four runs on only five hits and one walk. 

Roeseler finished the game 1-4 at the plate, but scored two runs and stole four bases. Kock finished with a pair of RBI.

MLC fell to 0-2 on the season following the two defeats. Wartburg improved to 8-1 with the sweep.

The Knights will return to action on Saturday, March 7, when they play Medaille in a doubleheader scheduled to start at 2:30 p.m. (local time).