NORTHFIELD, Minn. – The fourth-seeded St. Olaf College softball team fell in a 5-0 first-inning deficit and could not recover in a 7-3 loss to fifth-seeded Gustavus Adolphus College in the opening round of the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) Playoffs on Thursday afternoon at Mabel Shirley Field.

Gustavus (23-18) scored five runs in the first inning and held on the rest of the way to defeat St. Olaf (25-14) and advance to the semifinals. Senior Anne Fossum and junior Amelia Christenson both homered in the loss for the Oles, who were appearing in the MIAC Playoffs for the sixth season in a row and the eighth time overall.

With the win, the Gusties earned a date with top-seeded Saint Mary's University in the semifinals on Saturday, May 11 at 11 a.m. in Winona. Third-seeded Bethel University topped sixth-seeded Macalester College by a 7-2 margin in Thursday's other game to book a spot opposite the second-seeded College of Saint Benedict in the other semifinal.

Christenson and fifth-year senior Maya Patty had two hits apiece to combine for four of St. Olaf's eight hits in the loss. Christenson reached base three times by going 2-for-3 with a walk, a single, and a solo home run, while Fossum added a solo shot of her own. Christenson and Fossum's home runs increased the Oles' program-record total to 26 this season.

Maizie Anderson went the distance in the circle for Gustavus, limiting St. Olaf to three runs (two earned) on eight hits with three walks and six strikeouts in the 142-pitch complete game. The two teams combined to leave 23 runners on base in the game, with the Gusties stranding 13 and the Oles leaving 10 aboard.

For the second time in three meetings this season, Gustavus put a five-spot on the board in the top of the first. The Gusties tallied five hits and two walks while also capitalizing on two St. Olaf errors in the inning to get out to an early five-run cushion.

Gustavus pushed its lead to 6-0 with a run in the second and threatened for more runs in the top of the third, but sophomore Madyn Singleton got out of a bases-loaded, nobody-out jam. St. Olaf had to wait until Fossum's one-out solo home run in the fourth to get on the board, as the senior homered for the third game in a row and the fourth time in seven games to close out her career.

After the Oles left two runners in scoring position in the fifth, Christenson led off the sixth with a solo home run that just cleared the fence in right-center field to make it a 6-2 game. Senior Katie Weisheit and Patty hit back-to-back two-out singles later in the inning but were left aboard.

The Gusties extended their lead to 7-2 with a run in the top of the seventh, which was the lone run the visitors got off senior Jenna Peschel, who was the third of three Ole pitchers to work in the circle. Peschel struck out four and held Gustavus to one run on four hits with a pair of walks in her 4.1 innings of relief.

Trailing by five, St. Olaf generated a rally in the bottom of the seventh but was held to one run in the inning. The Oles loaded the bases with nobody out on an error, a single by senior Shreya Ashok, and a hit batter, but the next two St. Olaf batters were retired without the runners moving. First year Eva Hokanson delivered a two-out RBI single to keep the bases loaded and bring the tying run to the plate, but Weisheit hit a liner right at the Gustavus center fielder for the final out.

The game brought an end to the careers of St. Olaf's six graduating seniors: Maya Patty, Annie Landon, Hannah Peschel, Jenna Peschel, Anne Fossum, and Katie Weisheit. The group helped the Oles to an overall record of 96-60, a conference record of 68-19, and four MIAC Playoff appearances over the last four seasons, as well as a run to the regional final in 2021. Patty and Landon, who returned to the program for a fifth year this spring, were part of 103 victories during their time on the Hill.