New Ulm, MN - The Martin Luther College softball celebrated its 2024 seniors (Jordyn Heckendorf, Emma Mindock, Hannah Rassat, Olivia Siehr) this weekend during a sunny three-game series with Minnesota Morris. Despite the Cougars earning the sweep 7-1 (Game one), 11-3 (Game two), 5-3 (Game three), MLC never backed down and received two complete games from starting pitcher, Jessica Horn.

UMM 7, MLC 1

On Friday, the Cougars opened up the series with a pair of runs in the first two frames, courtesy of the top of the lineup. MLC responded in the bottom of the third inning when Lisa Hoffer smacked a double to center field, scoring Heckendorf from first base (2-1).

In the next half inning, Minnesota Morris got three runs off of a couple of RBI singles from Sierra Stevens and Anna Baumann to make it 5-1. The Cougars then added two more runs in the top of the fifth to put the game out of reach.

Alyssa Thornton tossed a complete game for Minnesota Morris and fanned six MLC batters. Horn also pitched a complete game for the Knights and allowed just four earned runs.

Heckendorf led MLC with three hits, while Hoffer and Berg had two hits apiece.

UMM 11, MLC 3

On Saturday morning, the Cougars' bats came alive and posted two runs in the first, second, and third inning for the 6-0 advantage. 

The Knights' first run of the game came from a Berg RBI single up the middle in the bottom of the first. The Knights put together two more runs in the bottom of the fifth to cut it to 8-3 after Heckendorf scored on a passed ball. Berg drove in the other run with a sacrifice fly to right field.

Following the MLC runs, the Cougars tacked on a pair of insurance runs in the sixth frame to secure the 11-3 victory over MLC. 

Minnesota Morris outhit the Knights 10-3, but would benefit heavily from six MLC errors out in the field. Skyla Bristol earned the win on the mound for the Cougars, after her eight strikeout complete game performance.

Horn got the start again for the Knights and the junior allowed six runs (5 earned) in  three innings pitched. Hoffer threw the other three frames and gave up five runs (0 earned).

UMM 5, MLC 3

In the third contest on Saturday afternoon, the Knights gave their best performance of the conference season in the 5-3 loss.

The Cougars scored a run in the first and third inning (2-0), while the Knights evened up the score 2-2 with a run in the fourth and fifth inning. Siehr got MLC in the scoring column in the fourth with an RBI double to left center field and Berg singled to center field for the tying run.

Stevens broke the 2-2 tie with an RBI single to left field (4-2), while Thornton manufactured an insurance run (5-2) with her RBI ground out. Berg gave MLC a shot at a comeback in the bottom of the seventh with her RBI ground out to make it 5-3, but Morgan Wilhelm forced Katie Rassat into a grounder to second base for the final out of the ball game.

Horn  had her best start on the hill, surrendering five runs (2 earned) in seven innings of work. Heckendorf, Hoffer, and Berg all recorded multi-hit games, as Berg finished with another multi-RBI contest.

MLC will now shift their focus towards another three-game series with UW-Superior on the road. The two teams will go at it on Tuesday, April 16, at 2 p.m. for a single game  and then complete the series with a doubleheader on Wednesday, April 17.