ST. PAUL - The Martin Luther College baseball team lost a slugfest in Friday's opening game of a three-game series at University of Northwestern-St. Paul (UNW) by the score of 11-8.

The Eagles jumped in front 2-0 in the first inning, but the Knights answered with three runs in the next two innings, one of which came on Tony Sahatjian's first collegiate home run to push MLC in front 3-2.

UNW came back with four runs in the bottom of the third frame, but Mason Cox knotted the game at 6-6 in the fifth inning with a three-run home run that scored Jonas Lindemann and Spencer Lilienthal. The home run was Cox's second of the season.

The Eagles took advantage of a pair of MLC miscues later in the game, scoring three unearned runs in the fifth, and adding two more in the seventh to push their lead to 11-6.

MLC would not go away, however, scoring twice in the eighth inning thanks to a UNW error and wild pitch, and then bringing the tying run to the plate in the ninth before a double play and strikeout ended the threat and the game.

Jackson Lindemann (0-5) started on the mound and pitched the first 6.1 innings for MLC, allowing 11 runs (seven earned) on nine hits.

The Knights outhit the Eagles 15-10 for the game, with Zach Klement and Carter Seltz each recording three hits apiece. Lilienthal and Sahatjian each scored two runs in the game.

MLC fell to 3-26 on the season and 3-16 in UMAC play in defeat. UNW improved to 21-11 overall and 15-4 in league play with the win.

The two teams will finish the weekend series tomorrow (Saturday, May 7), with a doubleheader scheduled to start at 2:00 p.m.