St. Bonifacius, MN - The Martin Luther College softball team wrapped up its 2024 season on a high note, taking two of its three-game series with Crown College. The Knights won the first contest 12-6 on Thursday, while Crown took the later game of the doubleheader 8-3. MLC responded in its final game of the season on Saturday and ended things with a 10-5 victory.

MLC 12, Crown 6

The Knights racked up a season-high 20 hits in their game-one win. Jessica Horn and Lisa Hoffer had four hits apiece, as all nine batters in the lineup recorded a hit.

MLC made their big push after the top of the third as they stormed out to a 9-0 lead. Sarah Yonkovich started the scoring with an RBI double in the second. Jordyn Heckendorf hit a two-run single shortly after to keep the momentum on the Knights' side.

Katelyn Rassat, Horn, and Hoffer each hit RBI singles in the third inning to further cement the victory. Horn also got the win on the mound and pitched in her 19th complete game of the season.

Meanwhile, Emma Mindock and Heckendorf both finished with three runs scored to lead the Knights.

Crown 8, MLC 3

Hoffer continued her stellar play at the plate and put MLC up 1-0 to start game two from her RBI single. The Polars answered that score and went up 4-1 in the bottom of the first inning after Skylar Gardner hit a three-run home run and an RBI double from Kaylee Fude RBI.

MLC chipped away at the deficit and put up one run in the second and fourth frame (4-3). However, Crown got the bats going again in the fifth inning to top MLC.

MLC 10, Crown 5

In the final game of the series, both schools finished with 15 hits, but it would be the nine errors committed by Crown that'd prove to be the difference in the outcome.

Hoffer was the catalyst again and led MLC with four base hits, while Heckendorf and Olivia Siehr collected three hits apiece.

Chloe Berg got the Knights aboard in the top of the first when she drove in Horn on an RBI single. Mindock made it 2-0 with an RBI double and Horn scored again off of an error to give MLC the 3-0 advantage after two innings.

MLC entered the bottom of the sixth up 6-1, but the Polars made a final effort to come back and posted three runs in the inning to make it 6-4. 

The Knights then put a halt on any comeback attempt in the next half inning after scoring four more runs for the 10-5 win over Crown.

Horn earned her 20th complete game of the season in addition to her seventh win. Meanwhile, four MLC players finished with two runs scored (Heckendorf, Horn, Mindock, Yonkovich.)

With the win on Saturday, MLC brings an end to the year and finished fifth in the UMAC standings after a 7-25 overall, 5-13 conference season.