MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL - The Martin Luther College softball team lost both games on the second day of the UMAC Crossover event in the Twin Cities, dropping game one 10-8 to University of Minnesota Morris (UMM) at North Central before losing game two 12-11 to Crown College at Northwestern. 

UMM 10, MLC 8

The Knights lost the opener 10-8 to UMM on a walk-off two-run home run in the bottom of the seventh inning.

MLC were in control for much of the game, but the Cougars came back from three different deficits before finally scoring the win in their last at bat.

The Knights built an early 3-0 lead, and then answered a four-run UMM third inning with a grand slam by Emma Berg in the fifth inning to take a 7-4 lead. The Cougars tied the game with three runs in the sixth inning, but Berg once again answered with a double that scored Elena Hoffman to push the Knights back in front 8-7.

In the bottom of the seventh, the Cougars scored once with the help of an MLC error to tie the game, and then Marissa Allen ended the game with a two-run home run with two outs to give UMM the win.

Berg had a career day at the plate for MLC, going 4-4 with six runs batted in. Hoffman and Kylie Wolf each added three hits. Madison Uhlenbrauck (3-9) took the loss in the circle, allowing 10 runs (six earned) in 6.2 innings. 

Crown 12, MLC 11

MLC once again fell on the wrong end of a slugfest as Crown took the afternoon game 12-11.

The Storm jumped in front 6-0 in the first three innings, but the Knights answered with four runs in the bottom half of the third thanks to a bases-clearing double by Emmalee Mindock to cut the deficit to 6-4.

Crown added five runs in the sixth and one more in the seventh to take a 12-6 advantage heading into the Knights' final at bat. The Knights rallied with four straight two-out hits, capped by Wolf's two-run double that cut the Storm's lead to one and put the tying run on second base, but the Storm were able to secure the final out to score the one-run win.

Both teams finished the game with 15 hits, but eight MLC errors led to four unearned runs for the Storm to aid them in the win. Wolf and Jordyn Heckendorf each recorded three hits for MLC, while Lisa Hoffer and Berg each finished with two hits apiece. Jessica Horn (2-9) started in the circle and took the loss for the Knights, allowing six runs (four earned) on 10 hits in 3.0 innings. 

MLC fell to 7-19 on the season and 2-10 in UMAC play following the two defeats. The Knights will return to action on Monday, April 25, when they travel to Northland for a doubleheader scheduled to start at 2:00 p.m.