COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. – Senior Hunter Barber struck out nine over a nine-inning complete game to pitch the St. Olaf College baseball team to a 3-1 win and a series victory over Saint John's University on Sunday afternoon at Becker Park.

After giving up an unearned run in the first inning, Barber shut Saint John's (27-10, 16-9 MIAC) down the rest of the way, including stranding a pair of runners in scoring position with his ninth strikeout of the game for the final out to seal the win for St. Olaf (12-7, 5-6 MIAC). The nine-inning complete game was the first of the senior's career and his nine strikeouts were a career-high total.

Offensively, the Oles were limited to six hits but generated three runs in the first three innings to give Barber a lead he would protect the rest of the way. Senior TJ Rogers and first year Sam Lavin had two hits apiece and Rogers scored a pair of runs.

Rogers created a run right away for St. Olaf, leading off the game with a single to right center, moving to third on a failed pick-off attempt, and scoring on a one-out ground out off the bat of junior Andrew Nomoto. The Johnnies got the run right back in the next half inning, scoring an unearned run on a throwing error on an infield single by Max Nyrop.

St. Olaf started the top of the third with three-straight singles by Harald Borg, Rogers, and Matthew Muller to fill the bases. The next two batters, Nomoto and Joey Glampe, each delivered sacrifice flies to bring in what proved to be the decisive runs.

Barber took care of the rest, allowing just five hits after the first inning. The only Johnnie to reach scoring position after the first inning and until the ninth reached via a two-base error in the second.

In the home half of the ninth, Saint John's threatened to tie the game, getting a one-out single by Soren Roe and a two-out double by Jack Schleper to put runners on second and third with two away. Barber proceeded to strand both runners with a strikeout looking to finish off his third win of the season.

With the win and Concordia-Moorhead's loss to St. Thomas, St. Olaf earned the No. 6 seed for the MIAC Playoffs play-in series ahead of the Cobbers. The Oles will head to Moorhead for the first game of the best-of-three series on Saturday, May 15 before hosting game two and game three (if necessary) on Sunday, May 16.