NEW ULM, Minn. – The University of Minnesota Morris softball team won both games of a doubleheader against Martin Luther College, 13-0 and 11-5, Thursday evening in Upper Midwest Athletic Conference play in New Ulm, Minn.
 
The Cougars improve to 7-7 in conference play and 9-17 overall, while the Knights fall to 4-19 overall and 2-6 in the UMAC.
 
Game 1
In the first inning, Taylor Johnson walked and later scored on a double by GingerAnn Lucas. This early run set the tone for a strong performance from the Cougars, who led 1-0 after the first inning.
 
The Cougars broke the game open in the second inning, starting with a walk from Kendra Schmitz. Jillian Anderson singled to put runners on the corners. Ro Diver began the scoring in the inning with a single to right, followed by Courtney Smith scoring on an error. Olivia Losee drove in a run with a single to right, and Mary Landherr added a two-run single to extend the lead. Schmitz drove in the final run of the inning as Minnesota Morris led 8-0 after the top of the second.
 
The Knights had two runners in scoring position with one out in the bottom of the inning, but Alyssa Thornton retired the next two batters to preserve the shutout.
 
In the following inning for UMM, GingerAnn Lucas, Losee, and Landherr all recorded single. Thornton drove in a pair with a double to left, and Schmitz added her second RBI of the game with a single to right, putting the Cougars up 12-0 after three innings.
 
The Cougars added one more run in the fifth as Lucas scored on an error. Thornton then threw a one-two-three fifth inning to earn her third complete-game shutout.
 
Minnesota Morris recorded 16 hits in the contest, with Lucas, Landherr, and Schmitz pacing the team with three apiece. Losee and Thornton each added two hits. The Cougars had two extra-base hits, with doubles from Lucas and Thornton. Johnson, Smith, and Chloe Frank each stole a base.
 
Alyssa Thornton pitched a complete game, allowing no earned runs over five innings while striking out three batters. She allowed four hits and did not issue a walk.
 
Game 2
Lucas reached in the first inning on catcher's interference and advanced to scoring position after stealing second. She later came around to score the opening run on an error. The Knights answered in the bottom of the inning to tie the game at one.
 
Martin Luther extended its lead to 4-1 after four innings.
 
In the fifth, Kennedy Biegler drew a leadoff walk as a pinch hitter. Morgan Wilhelm re-entered the game and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt from Diver. Anderson brought the Cougars within two with a single to center field.
 
A walk and an error put two runners on for the Cougars early in the sixth inning. A double from Schmitz brought UMM within one. Elise Stewart grounded out to shortstop but allowed Frank to score and tie the game. Diver then put the Cougars in front with a double to right-center, making the score 6-4 after the top of the sixth. MLC added a run in the bottom half to cut the deficit to one.
 
Lucas led off the seventh by being hit by a pitch, with Losee following with a single. The runners advanced, and a wild pitch scored Lucas. Landherr hit a sacrifice fly to extend the lead to three. Thornton doubled, and Schmitz added her second hit of the game to put runners on the corners. Another wild pitch scored pinch runners Ashley Albert and Leslie Murken. Johnson drove in the final run for UMM with a single, capping a five-run inning. Wilhelm then pitched a scoreless seventh to secure the 11-5 victory.
 
UMM tallied seven hits in the win, with Schmitz the only Cougar recording multiple hits. Thornton, Schmitz, and Diver each doubled. Landherr and Diver led the team with a pair of RBIs, while Wilhelm scored three runs. Lucas recorded the lone stolen base for Minnesota Morris.
 
Wilhelm earned the win after pitching all seven innings. She struck out one batter while allowing four earned runs.
 
The Cougars and Knights will finish the series Friday with an 11 a.m. game.