New Ulm, MN - The MLC baseball team hosted its home opener of the season with a non-conference doubleheader against Maranatha Baptist. Both of the games were competitive as the teams split it with MLC taking the first contest 4-2, while Maranatha Baptist responded with a 17-11 victory in game two.

MLC 4, Maranatha Baptist 2 (7 innings)

Samuel Rodriguez pitched his best game of the season for the Knights, surrendering just two runs (1 earned) in a complete-game performance. In seven innings of work, the senior also tossed six strikeouts.

Jackson Anderson provided a big hit in the bottom of the second, when the center fielder belted a home run to left field to put the Knights up 2-0. MLC added insurance runs to support Rodriguez in the third and fourth after Carlos Walta hit an RBI double in the gap, while Ethan Melso brought in the fourth run with a single to center field.

MLC also found an advantage on the basepads, stealing six bases off of the Sabercats' pitching. Winghart and Melso led the team with two stolen bases.

Anderson led the bats with two runs and two RBI, and Alex Ritter and Winghart each scored one run apiece.

Maranatha Baptist 17, MLC 11 (7 innings)

The later contest featured much more of an offensive game as the two teams combined to score 28 runs in just seven innings. Maranatha Baptist gained momentum early on and jumped on pitches to take a 7-1 lead through two innings. In the inning, the Sabercats recorded two doubles and a home run from Don Wheeler to left field.

The scoring would continue in the third frame as Maranatha Baptist put up four additional runs, while the Knights countered with three runs that included a 2-run double into left center field from Winghart. As a result, the Sabercats took an 11-4 lead and made it 14-4 with a three-run top of the fifth inning.

Despite the deficit, MLC didn't give up and scored seven unanswered runs in the fifth and sixth innings. The Knights hit them hard too, with five of their hits coming in the form of extra bases to cut it to 14-11.

The rally would come to an end, though as the Sabercats held off MLC by putting the game out of reach with three more runs off the Knights' bullpen to beat them 17-11.

MLC had four players with multi-RBI games, with Winghart driving in four to lead the squad, while Walta, Melso, and Jordan Ramirez finished with two.

John Westendorf and Winghart led the Knights with three runs scored.

MLC (6-16, 0-9) will have their first conference home series of the year when they host Minnesota Morris on Friday, April 11, at 3 p.m.