NORTHFIELD, Minn. – The St. Olaf College softball team locked up its sixth consecutive berth in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) Playoffs by sweeping Macalester College with 9-0 (5 innings) and 7-1 victories on Wednesday at Mabel Shirley Field.

After entering the day knowing a sweep would clinch a playoff spot, St. Olaf (23-13, 14-6 MIAC) took care of business with the sweep of Macalester (25-15, 12-10 MIAC) to assure itself of a spot in the six-team MIAC Playoffs. The two victories gave the Oles 11 wins in the last 12 meetings with the Scots dating back to 2018.

With two games remaining in the regular season, St. Olaf is tied for fourth in the conference standings with Gustavus Adolphus College with 14-6 records, one game behind third-place Saint Mary's University. The Oles could be seeded anywhere from third through fifth in the MIAC Playoffs in their eighth appearance in the field (2010, 2013, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024).

With three home runs on the day, including one in each game from first year Eva Hokanson, St. Olaf broke the single-season program record with 20 home runs on the season. The previous record was 18 set in 2015 and matched in 2021.

The Oles will close out the regular season and look to secure a home playoff game with a trip to Concordia-Moorhead on Saturday, May 4. First pitch for game one is set for 1 p.m. in Moorhead.

St. Olaf 9, Macalester 0 (5 inn.) | Box Score

Senior Jaelyn Orth was the story in game one for St. Olaf, as Orth threw a two-hit shutout and hit a game-ending grand slam to cap the run-rule victory. The senior held Macalester to two hits with two walks and five strikeouts in her second shutout of the season while improving to 9-2 in the circle.

Hokanson's first home run of the day – a two-run shot – broke a scoreless deadlock in the fourth inning and St. Olaf went on to score seven runs in the fifth to end the game early. Hokanson reached base all three times by going 2-for-2 with a walk, a single, and the two-run home run, while senior Anne Fossum was 2-for-3 with a double, a run scored, and an RBI. Five other Oles picked up one hit apiece.

After the two starting pitchers put up seven consecutive zeroes to start the game, St. Olaf finally broke through in the bottom of the fourth when Hokanson followed a Fossum two-out double with a two-run home run to left center to give Orth all the run support she would need.

The Oles went on to score seven runs on five hits in the fifth, capped by Orth's game-ending grand slam, which was her team-leading fourth home run out of 10 hits this season. With the bases loaded and nobody out on three consecutive singles, senior Katie Weisheit drew a walk to score the first run of the inning. After a strikeout, Fossum brought in another run with a single before another came in on a passed ball. Hokanson then drew a walk to load the bases for Orth, who homered to left to account for the nine-run margin.

St. Olaf 7, Macalester 1 | Box Score

St. Olaf scored five first-inning runs to get out to a sizable early lead in game two, as sophomore Madyn Singleton and senior Jenna Peschel held the Scots to one run. Singleton improved to 4-1 with 4.1 innings of shutout ball, allowing just four hits with one walk and one strikeout, before Peschel tossed the final 2.2 innings.

Hokanson hit a three-run home run in the Oles' five-run first and finished 2-for-3 with two runs scored and three RBI. Senior Hannah Peschel was 3-for-4 with a double, a run scored, and an RBI, while junior Amelia Christenson added two hits and scored once.

The Oles jumped on Macalester starter Tess Bojorquez quickly in the first, chasing Borjorquez before the second out of the inning. After senior Shreya Ashok got on via a fielder's choice and stole second with one out, Hannah Peschel doubled to left to bring in Ashok for the first run of the game. Fossum followed with an RBI single to center to score Peschel. After Christenson singled to put two runners on for Hokanson, the first year hit her second home run of the day – her third of the season – to cap the five-run first.

Still holding the 5-0 lead, St. Olaf added on with two more runs in the fifth. After the first two batters of the inning were retired, the Oles recorded four singles in a row, with fifth-year senior Maya Patty and Weisheit driving in runs after Christenson and Hokanson kept the inning alive. The Scots got their lone run of the day on a solo home run by Sophie Futchko with two outs in the sixth.