St. Paul, MN - The MLC softball team finished its 2026 season on a high note, taking two out of three games at North Central this weekend. The Knights defeated the Rams 11-1 on Friday, while North Central won game two on Saturday, 3-1. MLC responded with a 10-4 win in the third contest Saturday night.
Kieghtan Rank tossed a total of 20 innings over the course of the three games and added on to her MLC single-season strikeout record, finishing with 91 K's this season. The previous record was set by Laura Miller (58 strikeouts) in 2011.
Game 1 MLC 11, NCU 1
MLC received production from its entire batting order and had eight players record a base hit in the game. The Knights hit two home runs in the game, including a solo homer by
Kierah Schultz in the fourth and a 2-run home run by
Kiara Humann in the seventh frame.
Chloe Berg and Rank hit RBI doubles earlier in the game to give MLC a comfortable lead. Humann, Berg, and
Chloe Koschnitzke paced the Knights with two RBI, while
Kaylee Pickering led the team in runs scored (3). Berg also had the most hits for the Knights (3).
Game 2 NCU 3, MLC 1
Game two featured more of a pitcher's duel, with Rank only allowing three runs on four hits in six innings of work. MLC jumped out to a 1-0 advantage when Pickering drove in Humann with an RBI single to left center.
The Rams scored all three of their runs in the bottom of the fourth off a couple of hits that knocked in their base runners.
Rachel McCaughna led MLC with two base hits.
Game 3 MLC 10, NCU 4
MLC closed out the series and the season with a solid 10-4 victory in the third game. After North Central hit a solo homer in the first inning, MLC countered with a run in the second inning to tie it at 1-1. The Rams would then trade back the lead to go up 2-1, but their lead wouldn't last long as the Knights strung together a 5-run top of the third inning that included a 2-run homer down the left field line by Rank to help her own cause.
In the fifth inning,
Ray Schaefer then hit an RBI single and the Knights put on a double steal to tack on some additional run support to take a 9-2 lead.
Schaefer led the team with three RBI, while Rank and Pickering each recorded two RBI. Rank also scored three runs while Humann crossed home plate twice.
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