Topeka, KS - The Martin Luther College baseball team began the 2025 season on Friday afternoon, taking on Hamline University down in Topeka, Kansas for the second consecutive season. The Knights split today's doubleheader, beating the Pipers 13-7 in game one before falling 14-4 in game two.

Game 1 MLC 13, Hamline 7

Aside from a two-out single in the first inning, Connor Heckendorf was in complete control on the mound to guide MLC to an opening-day victory. The lefty pitched six innings allowing 1 earned run with three strikeouts, and giving up just six Hamline hits with only one of them resulting in an extra-base hit. Heckendorf tossed 105 pitches and kept a talented MIAC lineup at bay.

The MLC offense started to heat up in the third inning as Parker Winghart picked up where he left off his freshman season by driving in the Knights' first run of the season on a two-out double, bringing in Carter Seltz to even it up 1-1.

MLC added a run in the fourth and then took a 4-1 advantage in the top of the fifth as Carlos Walta hit a two-run homer off of the Pipers' starter Conor Mestemacher.

The bats came alive in the seventh for the MLC offense as the Knights strung together three RBI doubles from Winghart and a pair of seniors Samuel Rodriguez and Jordan Ramirez. John Westendorf ended the inning with an RBI single and MLC found themselves up 10-1 to break the game open.

MLC tallied off the game with three additional runs in the ninth as Hamline made a push to get back into the game, scoring six runs in the last three innings. However, the Knights got the necessary final three outs recorded and closed out the game with a 13-7 win to start the season off.

MLC also played great defense, committing only one error in the nine-inning contest. The MLC bats rattled off 13 hits with Ramirez leading the team in hits (3) and runs (3). Ramirez, Rodriguez, and Walta finished with two RBI. Seltz, Walta, and Jackson Anderson each totaled two runs scored.

Game 2 Hamline 14, MLC 4

Both lineups were ready to go to start the second game of the doubleheader with the score 4-4 through two innings of play. Hamline answered MLC's one run in the top of the first with four runs of their own in the bottom half of the inning. The back-and-forth offense continued with a three-run top of the second from the Knights.

The pitching settled in throughout the next two innings before the Pipers added a run in the fifth to make it 5-4 in their favor. Hamline then posted three runs in the sixth and followed that up with five additional runs in the bottom of the seventh that enforced the 10-run rule in the seventh, giving them the game-two win.

MLC had double-digit hits once again, finishing with 10, and three MLC players recorded multi-hit games (Alex Ritter, Seltz, and Rodriguez). Ritter and catcher Mark Vogel picked up one RBI apiece.

Walta got the start in game two and surrendered five runs (5 earned) on the hill for the Knights.

MLC (1-1) has a chance to win the series on Saturday, March 1, at noon when they take on the Pipers for the final game of the three-game series.