NORTHFIELD, Minn. – The St. Olaf College softball team posted its fourth-straight sweep in Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) play by claiming a pair of low-scoring games, 3-1 and 2-1, against crosstown-rival Carleton College on Wednesday at Ele Hansen Field.

Junior Julie Graf picked up the victories in both games for St. Olaf (25-11, 15-5 MIAC), striking out 27 batters in 11 innings in the circle on the afternoon to hold Carleton (23-12, 9-9 MIAC) in check. With the two wins, the Oles have now won eight consecutive games and the team's 25 victories this season are one shy of the 2017 team for the most by the team since 1997.

St. Olaf's eight-game winning streak is its longest since the 1998 team won nine in a row to end the season.

St. Olaf 3, Carleton 1 | Box Score

Graf matched her career high with 19 strikeouts, the highest recorded total in MIAC history for a seven-inning conference game, while holding the Knights to one hit and one unearned run. The junior also struck out 19 batters in a one-hitter during a 2-0 win over Grinnell on Mar. 20, 2017. The 19 strikeouts are the most by an NCAA Division III pitcher in a game this season.

The only hit Graf gave up was a leadoff single to Anna Lauko to start the bottom of the first inning. A sacrifice bunt and a wild pitch moved Lauko to third with one out before Graf got a pair of strikeouts to escape.

The Oles scored the only runs Graf would need in the top of the second on a two-out, two-run single to left by senior Alison Curry. Sophomore Hannah Matthies and senior Emily Carr started the inning by reaching base on a walk and a single before a sacrifice by sophomore Abby Grismer.

Carleton got its lone run of the game in the next half inning, filling the bases with nobody out on two hit batters and an error on a fielder's choice before Brooke McKelvey drew a bases-loaded walk. With the bases still full and nobody out, Graf got the next three batters to strike out to preserve the lead.

A one-out walk in the fourth and a two-out hit batter in the sixth were the only base runners the Knights got after the second. The Oles added an insurance run in the top of the fifth when the Carleton second baseman dropped a pop up with two outs to allow Matthies to score after Matthies and Carr had back-to-back singles with two outs.

Carr was 3-for-4 with a run for St. Olaf, while Curry and first year Tarah DeCroock had two hits apiece. Sam Kile went the distance for Carleton, allowing three runs (two earned) on nine hits with one walk and one strikeout.

St. Olaf 2, Carleton 1 | Box Score

Graf and Grismer combined to limit the Knights to a single run and the St. Olaf defense turned a rare double play on an attempted stolen base to preserve a one-run lead. Graf earned her 16th victory of the season by striking out eight over four shutout innings.

DeCroock drove in the first run of the game in the top of the third on a two-out RBI triple to right that got by a sliding Carleton right fielder to score Curry from second base. The Oles threatened to add to the lead with runners on second and third, but Maddie Sherwood limited the damage to one with a strikeout.

Junior Clare Waddell followed a double by Carr with a single to right in the fourth, leaving runners on the corners with one out, but Waddell was caught stealing as Sherwood kept it a one-run game. Sherwood allowed just two runs on seven hits with no walks and four strikeouts in the complete-game loss.

Carleton threatened to tie it in the bottom of the fourth after a leadoff single by Natalie Maurice and a sacrifice bunt. Grismer relieved Graf with the tying run at second and got the Oles out of the inning.

After a Curry single to start the fifth, first year Kaleigh Santmyer dropped down a bunt single and DeCroock bunted both runners up a base prior to a sacrifice fly off the bat of Bode that made it 2-0.

A RBI triple by Maurice, her third hit of the game, got Carleton on the board in the bottom of the sixth and left the tying run 60 feet away. After a ground out, Mo McConnell drew a walk and tried to steal second on the throw back to the pitcher, but was thrown out and Maurice was gunned down trying to score on the play.

After a one-out double by Sarah Ogle in the bottom of the seventh, St. Olaf brought Graf back into the circle and she retired the final two batters to seal the sweep.

The Oles visit the College of Saint Benedict at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Apr. 27 to conclude MIAC play. St. Olaf needs a split to secure a spot in the MIAC Playoffs, but could also get in if Hamline drops three or more of its remaining conference games.