NEW ULM, Minn. - The Martin Luther College baseball team lost both games of its doubleheader against North Central University (NCU) by the scores of 6-3 and 10-9 on Saturday.
NCU 6, MLC 3
The Rams scored three late runs to help them win game one 6-3.
NCU jumped to a 1-0 lead in the first inning, but the Knights came back to tie the game 1-1 in the fourth after an RBI-single by
Bobby Larsen.
The Rams added two runs in the fifth, but the Knights cut the deficit to 3-2 thanks to an RBI-double by
Mason Cox in the bottom half that scored
Spencer Lilienthal in the same inning.
The deficit remained one run until the seventh, when the Rams scored twice, and then added another insurance run in the eighth inning. The Knights brought the tying run to the plate in the ninth frame, but the Rams got out of the jam to secure the win.
Jackson Lindemann (0-4) got the start for the Knights and took the loss after allowing three runs on six hits in five innings.
Tony Sahatjian led the MLC offense with three hits. Cox and Larsen each recorded two hits.
NCU 10, MLC 9
NCU jumped out to an early 9-1 lead and then held off a furious charge by the Knights to win game two 10-9.
The Rams scored seven times in the first two innings off MLC starting pitcher
Carter Seltz (0-2), and then added two more off reliever
Matt Rieger in the third inning to take a 9-1 lead after four.
Rieger settled into the game after that, however, and held the Rams scoreless for four straight innings as the bats started to come alive. MLC scored four times in the fifth frame, and once more in the sixth to cut the deficit to 9-6.
After the Rams scored once in the top of the eighth, Cox and
Andrew Deisinger each drove in runs with singles in the eighth inning to cut the deficit to two.
The Knights threatened in the ninth as
Jordan Ramirez hit a sacrifice fly to cut the Rams' lead to one, but NCU was able to record the final two outs with the tying run on first base to secure the win.
Rieger didn't factor into the decision but pitched well in relief, allowing three runs (one earned) in six innings. Cox and
Caleb Heckendorf each recorded three hits for the Knights.
MLC fell to 2-18 on the season and 2-8 in UMAC play after the two defeats. NCU improved to 5-4 overall and 3-2 in league play with the sweep.
The Knights will return to action on Tuesday, April 19, when they host Crown College in a game scheduled to start at 3:00 p.m.