WAVERLY, Iowa - The Martin Luther College baseball team was unable to avoid the big inning in a pair of losses at Warburg on Monday by the scores of 15-3 and 15-0.

Wartburg 15, MLC 3

Wartburg used an eight-run third inning to blow open game one en route to a 15-3 win.

The Knights started strong with Mason Cox's first home run of the season in the first inning, but Wartburg came back to take a 3-2 lead heading into the bottom of the third inning.

In that third frame, Wartburg scored eight runs with the help of two home runs (including a grand slam), pushing its lead to 11-3 on the way to the win.

Andrew Deisinger (0-2) started the game and pitched two innings for MLC, allowing three runs on four hits and three walks. Jackson Lindemann led the Knights with two hits, while Alex Ritter drove in a run with a single in the second inning.

Wartburg 15, MLC 0

The third inning once again proved to be the Knights' downfall as Wartburg raced to a 15-0 win in game two.

The two teams were scoreless after 2.5 innings, but Wartburg once again used the long ball to propel it to a seven-run inning to take a commanding lead.

Wartburg continued to pour on the offense in the fourth frame, scoring five runs, and then tacked on three more in the later innings to secure the win.

Lindemann (0-2) pitched two scoreless innings to start, but took the loss after allowing seven runs (five earned) in three frames. Cox led the MLC offense with two hits.

MLC dropped to 0-10 on the season with the two losses. Wartburg improved to 10-7 with the sweep.

The Knights will return to action on Tuesday, March 29, when they open UMAC play at home with a game against Bethany Lutheran.