MANKATO, Minn. - The Martin Luther College softball team split its doubleheader at Bethany Lutheran College (BLC) on Monday, winning game one 13-5 before losing game two 13-8.

The Knights entered the day with seven conference wins, one behind Northwestern-St. Paul (8-4) and Northland (8-6) for one of the final spots in next week's UMAC Tournament. The split pushed the Knights' conference record to 8-8, giving them a chance to make the tournament if Northwestern is able to defeat Northland twice later this week.

MLC 13, BLC 5

The Knights scored four times in the opening inning and never trailed the rest of the way in a 13-5 win in game one.

MLC sent eight batters to the plate in the first inning, and capped it off with a three-run double by Halley Engelbrecht with the base loaded to take a 4-0 lead. The Vikings answered with three runs in the bottom half of the first, but MLC responded with two runs in the second, four more in the fifth, and then three runs in the last two innings to secure the win.

The Knights pounded 19 hits in the game, led by Jordyn Heckendorf, Lisa Hoffer, Samantha Schoch and Engelbrecht with three hits apiece. Heckendorf scored four runs, while Schoch and Engelbrecht each drove in a team-high three runs. Hoffer scored twice and drove in two.

That proved more than enough support for Brett Burger (8-7), who settled in after a rocky first frame to go the distance, allowing five runs (two earned) on nine hits while striking out five to get the win.

BLC 13, MLC 8

MLC came back from a big early deficit, but could not overcome a six-run Vikings' fifth inning in a 13-8 defeat in game two.

Hoffer started the scoring with a solo home run to right field in the first inning, but BLC answered with one run in the bottom half, and then four more runs in the second to take a 5-1 lead. 

MLC came back with two runs of its own on back-to-back home runs by Schoch and Hoffman in the third inning, and then tied the game in the top of the fourth inning on a three-run home run by Heckendorf that scored Emma Berg and Emmalee Mindock.

After the teams traded runs to make the score 7-7, BLC erupted for six runs in the bottom of the fifth to take control of the game on the way to the win.

Hoffman's third-inning home run gave her two this season and set a new MLC record with 16 home runs for her career. The Knights entered the game with three home runs as a team this season, but more than doubled that total with four in game two. Hoffer's home run was her third of the season, while Heckendorf and Schoch each hit their first.

Burger (8-8) took the loss in relief after allowing eight runs (four earned) on 10 hits in 4.2 innings.

MLC moved to 10-14 overall and 8-8 in league play with the split. BLC moved to 19-15 on the season and 12-4 in league play.

The Knights will conclude the regular season on Thursday, May 6, when they travel to Carleton for a non-conference doubleheader.