Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score

NEW ULM, Minn. – Northwestern College split a UMAC doubleheader for the second straight day on Saturday, battling through periods of rain in an eight-inning 5-4 loss before rebounding to beat Martin Luther College 5-2.

Northwestern scored first in Game 1, but found itself down 2-1 after an inning of play. After leading off the game with a single, Kelsey Stoltman (Shoreview, Minn./Mounds View) scored on a Lauren Walker (Shoreview, Minn./Concordia Academy) sacrifice fly. The Knights responded with big hits in the bottom half of the frame as consecutive multiple-base hits gave the home team an early lead.

NWC added a two-spot in the fourth inning to go up 3-2. Kristin Sigurdsen (Barron, Wis./Barron) hit a two-out RBI double to score Erin Wankerl (Willmar, Minn./Willmar) before a Briana Rodgers (Monticello, Minn./Monticello) single brought Stoltman home. Martin Luther scored one run in each of the fourth and fifth frames to lead by one yet again. The Knights' fourth run of the game in the fourth inning especially hurt, as their leadoff batter reached base on a Northwestern defensive error.

NWC evened the score at 4-4 in the top of the sixth as Molly Johnsen (Floodwood, Minn./Floodwood) scored on a clutch hit from Rodgers, who hit a double to left field. The Eagles stranded a runner in the seventh before going three-up, three-down in the eighth, hoping to get another chance in the batter's box as the score remained tied. Northwestern had two outs on the board, but an RBI single ended the game with the final count at 5-4.

Four different Eagles had two or more hits in the game, including Rodgers, who went 2-3 with two RBI. Stoltman also had a multiple-hit day, finishing 2-3 with two runs scored. In the pitcher's circle, Kelsey Timm (Iowa Falls, Iowa/Iowa Falls-Aiden) threw all seven-plus innings, giving up four earned runs on 10 hits while striking out nine. Northwestern left 10 runners on base throughout the game.

Game 2 finished with a different result, as the Eagles escaped five errors to win 5-2. Johnsen finished well below her average with just one strikeout from the rubber, but the freshman didn't allow an earned run from the 33 batters she faced.

NWC scored three runs in the top of the first, taking advantage of two MLC errors and two hits. Stoltman and Sigurdsen both reached first base on errors and eventually scored on RBI hits from Rodgers and Walker. Timm recorded an RBI on a sacrifice fly when Rodgers crossed home plate.

After Martin Luther scored a run in the first and second innings, Northwestern added two in the top of the fifth which proved to be enough to win by three. Stoltman scored again Walker's RBI double before Walker came home on a double by Erin Kleinjan (Avon, Minn./Holdingford).

Stoltman, Rodgers and Walker each had two hits in the game with Walker and Timm each picking up a pair of RBI.

Now 14-18 overall (9-6 UMAC), the Purple and Gold stands fourth in the UMAC standings behind St. Scholastica, Minnesota Morris and Northland. The Eagles will play two of those schools – St. Scholastica and Northland – on Tuesday in a split doubleheader in Duluth, with the first game scheduled for 11 a.m.