New Ulm, MN - The Martin Luther College baseball team dropped its Friday doubleheader to Northwestern 7-2 in game one and then 13-3 in the second game of the day. The rain delayed the start of the contest, but MLC was still able to honor all parents on parents' day in between games.

UNW 7, MLC 2

Michael Fromm got the nod to start in what would be his final start of his MLC career. The fifth-year senior started off fooling the Eagles' batters and got through five innings not allowing a run on the board. Fromm would even get out of a jam in the top of the fifth inning after a Northwestern hitter led off by getting to second base with no outs.

In the meantime, the Knights' offense gave Fromm one run of support, due to a wild pitch thrown by the Eagles pitcher. As a result, Carter Seltz came in from third base to score and put the Knights ahead on the scoreboard.

MLC would enter the top of the sixth inning up 1-0, but the lead would shift towards Northwestern when they struck hammered in four runs that got started off with a double to right field by Grady Karges.

Mason Cox would get back a run for MLC in the bottom half of the inning, as he hit a solo homer to left field, to make it 4-2. However, Northwestern would add two runs in the seventh and another in the ninth inning

Along with Cox's big fly, MLC gained two-hit games from Jackson Lindemann and Seltz.

Northwestern 13, MLC 3

In game two, Caleb Heckendorf found his pitch and drove a single into left field to score Spencer Lilienthal. The hit from Heckendorf evened up the game 1-1 after the first frame.

The Knights had a golden opportunity to take the lead with a runner on second and third base with 1 out. Christian Bachenburg tagged up from third on a flyout to right field and scored, but Jordan Ramirez was caught hanging off the base pad and was thrown out. In a controversial call from the umpire, the Knights had to take off the run, due to the umpire saying that he was tagged out before the run had scored.

Following that sequence, the Eagles broke the tie courtesy of consecutive doubles in the gap and went up 3-1 on MLC in the third inning. Northwestern would have a similar outcome in the fifth inning, scoring another pair of runs. 

Down 5-1 in the bottom of the sixth, the Knights showed some signs of life with two more runs thanks to another Heckendorf RBI single, as well as a Bachenburg single to left field that went just past the shortstop.

Despite the kick back from MLC, the Eagles answered back with a monstrous eight-run inning that was catapulted by two separate three-run home runs. The big inning would prove to be the difference as Northwestern took game two of the doubleheader 13-3.

Matt Rieger followed up his big week where he won UMAC pitcher of the week, with another solid start, only allowing five runs in six innings on the mound.

At the plate, the Knights were led by Heckendorf and Bachenburg, who had two hits apiece.

Up next for MLC (5-24, 1-19) is their final game of the 2023 season as they finish off the three-game series with Northwestern. First pitch has been moved to 12 p.m. to accommodate the rain coming into New Ulm later in the afternoon.