MOORHEAD, Minn. – The St. Olaf College softball team opened Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) play by sweeping Concordia-Moorhead by scores of 8-2 and 13-1 (5 inn.) on Saturday afternoon at Jake Christiansen Stadium.

After inclement weather pushed its conference opener back a week, St. Olaf (7-13, 2-0 MIAC) got a dominant performance in the circle in the opener from sophomore Jaelyn Orth, who struck out a career-high 14 batters and allowed just one hit in the win. In game two, the Oles pounded 13 hits and used a nine-run second inning to post a run-rule victory and complete the sweep of Concordia (6-12, 0-4 MIAC).

With the sweep, St. Olaf improved to 34-4 in its last 38 MIAC games dating back to early in the 2019 season. The Oles have swept their opponents in 15 of their last 19 conference doubleheaders over that span.

St. Olaf hosts Saint Mary's in its home opener on Sunday, April 10. First pitch is slated for 1 p.m. at Mabel Shirley Field.

St. Olaf 8, Concordia-Moorhead 2 | Box Score

In game one, Orth gave up a leadoff single – the lone hit of the game for Concordia – as the Cobbers scored twice in the top of the first. After the first, the only base runners the hosts got off of the sophomore were two walks in the third inning, as Orth retired the final 13 batters of the game.

Orth limited Concordia to two runs (one earned) on one hit and two walks with 14 strikeouts, surpassing her previous career-high total of nine strikeouts from Feb. 26 against Grinnell. The victory was the sophomore's third of the season and lowered Orth's ERA to 2.93 in 10 appearances (five starts).

After giving up two runs in the bottom of the first, St. Olaf got both runs back in the next half inning, scoring on a two-out, two-run single to left by junior Maya Patty. After a lengthy at bat, Patty drove a single to left to plate junior Andrea Conway and senior Kaleigh Santmyer for two unearned runs.

The Oles took the lead for good in the top of the third when sophomore Anne Fossum hit a two-run home run to left after classmate Shreya Ashok led off the inning with a double. St. Olaf stretched its lead to 5-2 later in the inning when Santmyer doubled in fifth-year senior Abby Grismer, who reached on an error to prolong the inning.

The score remained 5-2 until the Oles added three runs in the seventh to give themselves some late breathing room. After senior Tarah DeCroock and Conway started the inning with back-to-back singles, Santmyer brought them both in with a triple to center. The final run of the inning game came in on a ground out by sophomore Katie Weisheit.

Santmyer was a home run shy of the cycle, going 3-for-4 with a double, a triple, a run, and three RBI to pace a nine-hit attack for St. Olaf. Patty also had three hits and drove in two runs, while Fossum had two hits including the two-run home run.

Megan Gavin suffered the loss for the Cobbers, yielding eight runs (six earned) on nine hits with two walks and 10 strikeouts.

St. Olaf 13, Concordia-Moorhead 1 (5 inn.) | Box Score

St. Olaf matched its season high with 13 hits on its way to scoring a season-high 13 runs in game two, as eight Oles had at least one hit in the win. Eleven Oles scored a run and eight had at least one RBI in game two.

Patty capped a six-hit, five-RBI day by going 3-for-4 with a run and three RBI, Conway reached base four times by going 3-for-4 with a double, a walk, two runs, and one RBI, Ashok went 1-for-4 with two runs and three RBI, and sophomore Hannah Peschel was 2-for-3 with a walk, a run, and two RBI.

Grismer and sophomore Jenna Peschel combined to limit Concordia to one run on five hits with two walks and six strikeouts. Peschel picked up her second win of the season, throwing the final three innings and striking out four after Grismer tossed two shutout innings to start the game.

After the first two batters of the game were retired, St. Olaf mounted a two-out rally to grab an early lead, scoring on a two-out, two-run single to center by Patty. The hit came after Conway started the rally with a single and Santmyer and DeCroock drew back-to-back walks to load the bases.

The Oles added another run in the second, again scoring after the first two batters of the inning were retired, as Conway delivered a two-out, run-scoring double to left to bring in Ashok. St. Olaf broke the game open in the third, scoring nine runs on eight hits to open up a 12-0 lead. The first nine hitters of the inning all reached base, as the Oles sent 15 batters to the plate in the inning. First year Faith Yi recorded her first collegiate hit and RBI with an RBI single in the inning.

St. Olaf got its final run of the game in the fourth on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Ashok. The Cobbers plated their lone run of the game in their final at bat, starting the fifth with three-straight hits.