Topeka, KS - For the fourth consecutive season, MLC baseball made the trek down to Topeka, Kansas, for a 4-game series with Hamline University this past weekend. The Knights won two of the four contests, including the second games on both Friday, 7-5, and Saturday, 11-10. The Pipers came out on top in the first 6-5 and 8-5 in the third game.

Game 1 Hamline 6, MLC 5

MLC scored one run in the first, second, and third innings. Aidan Berg hit a solo home run in the top of the second, and Michel Krebs knocked in another run in the third to go up 3-1. There would be several lead changes between the two schools in the fourth and fifth frames until Hamline took game one with a walkoff RBI single in the bottom of the seventh.

Game 2 MLC 7, Hamline 5

The Knights bounced back in game two on Friday and did so in a loud way as John Westendorf belted a leadoff homerun, and Parker Winghart hit a two-run blast in the three-hole to make it 3-0 MLC in front.

In the top of the third, a pair of freshmen in Micah Herbst and Ryan Pufahl recorded RBI singles to put the Knights up 5-0, while another first-year player in Evan Kasa hit a sacrifice fly to go up 6-0.

As Jackson Anderson doubled in the seventh to put MLC up 7-0, the Pipers would attempt a comeback and scored five runs in the sixth and seventh innings, but the Knights to put an end to it and recorded the final three outs necessary for the victory.

Berg was credited with the win, starting the game for MLC, pitching four innings of shutout ball with seven strikeouts and only three hits surrendered.

Game 3 Hamline 8, MLC 5

In game three, the Pipers held control for the majority of the matchup, taking an 8-1 lead into the bottom of the seventh frame. MLC was able to put up four runs in the inning off of RBI singles from Westendorf and Anderson to cut it to 8-5, but Hamline hung on to get the win.

Game 4 MLC 11, Hamline 10

Krebs got going again in the final game of the series and started the Knights' six-run top of the first with an RBI double, scoring two. After a wild pitch gave MLC its third run, Mark Vogel hit a two-run single, followed by another from Westendorf to make the total 6-0.

The Pipers would score two in the second and third frames, but MLC would tack on another three runs to go up 9-0 as Winghart and Krebs drove them in with more doubles.

After cutting it to 11-10 in the sixth, Hamline was unable to tie it up, leaving three runners on base as MLC survived to secure the series split.

Owen Proctor went five innings for the Knights in his first collegiate start and struck out seven batters in the meantime.

In the series, Winghart batted .538 with five RBI, four runs, and a homer, while Westendorf finished with a .462 batting average at the plate with three RBI and the home run. Krebs also hit .600 for the series with five RBI to help the Knights acheive the split. Overall, the Knights got good balance from up and down the lineup and will now look to duplicate that performance in Florida for their annual Spring Break trip, playing 10 games starting on March 9.