Mankato, MN - The MLC baseball moved up its doubleheader with Bethany Lutheran College on Tuesday afternoon due to incoming weather conditions this weekend. The Knights gave the Vikings some game pressure at times in both contests, but ultimately fell 13-3 in game one and 22-5 in the second matchup.

Bethany 13, MLC 3 (8 innings)

The Vikings displayed good situational hitting and scored seven runs with two outs throughout the eight innings. Bethany also benefited from a pair of solo home runs by Josh Robb and Nolan Spence in the second and third inning respectively.

Bethany took a 5-0 lead after the top of the third, until Mason Cox came through with an important three-run homer (5-3) to left field to keep MLC in the game. Despite the momentum shift towards the Knight's side, the Vikings would then score eight unanswered runs to take game one 13-3.

The Vikings received a solid outing from junior pitcher, Gavin Jacobsen. The southpaw tossed six innings, giving up three runs and struck out 11 MLC batters.

Matt Rieger was on the mound for MLC and also pitched six innings, surrendering seven runs, while fanning three Bethany batters.

Cox went 2-for-4 at the plate with three RBI, while Alex Ritter also finished with two hits.

The Vikings had four different players with multi-RBI games, including three RBI from Spence.

Bethany 22, MLC 5

MLC got off to a 3-0 start in the second game after cashing in on an error by catcher, Connor Jones. The Knights would score two runs off of the error and added another run from a Carter Seltz single to right field.

The Knights held that 3-0 advantage until the top of the third when the Vikings posted three runs to even up the score. Bethany added another three runs to go up 6-3, but Cox drove a double to left center field and brought in Ritter to cut it to 6-4 in the bottom of the fifth.

The Bethany top of the lineup then created some separation with a mix of speed on the basepads and power at the plate in the next few innings to take the double-digit win.

Drew Hedtke pitched six innings and threw six strikeouts for Bethany, while Connor Heckendorf struck out two in five innings of work for the Knights.

Cox and Ritter led MLC with three hits apiece, while Mark Vogel made some nice throws behind the plate and had two opposite field hits offensively.

MLC now goes to 3-12 overall and 0-2 in conference competition. The Knights will either finish off the three game series with Bethany on Friday, or will face UW-Superior on Friday, March 29 in New Ulm.