Mankato, MN - The Martin Luther College softball team opened the 2024 season at the Kwik Trip Invitational on Sunday morning, hosted by Bethany Lutheran College.

The Knights would play two games in the Minnesota State Dome and dropped game one to Concordia Moorhead 11-0 and game two to Hamline 10-2.

Concordia Moorhead 11, MLC 0 (5 innings)

The Cobbers broke out the bats early on against the Knights and put up four runs in the top of the first inning. Concordia Moorhead benefited from a couple of extra base hits to get the rally going, including a triple to right field from Danielle Lyon and two-run home run from Jocelyn Maki.

Concordia Moorhead did the rest of their damage by scoring five more runs in the second and another two in the third. As a team, the Cobbers produced 13 hits, while MLC was limited to just one.

Chloe Berg recorded the lone hit for the Knights in her college debut on a single to right center field in the fifth inning.

Hamline 10, MLC 2 

The Knights were able to scrap together nine hits in the second game on Sunday against Hamline, but the Piper's offense would hit for contact and found the holes in the outfield to put the ball in play.

The Pipers posted three runs to begin the game in the top half of the first inning, but MLC answered by scoring their first run of the season off of an Anna Busch double that brought home Lisa Hoffer.

Jessica Horn would hold Hamline scoreless for the next couple of innings, but the Pipers got to her in the fourth and added on three more runs to make it 6-1.

After trailing 9-1, MLC drove in another run when Olivia Siehr knocked in Hoffer on a single up the middle.

The Knights had four players with two hits (Horn, Busch, Siehr, and Berg) and will look to build on their success at the plate moving forward.

MLC (0-2) will return to the Minnesota State dome for another pair of games next weekend on Saturday, February 24. The Knights play Gustavus at 8 a.m. and Saint Mary's (MN) at 10:30 a.m.