COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. – The fourth-seeded St. Olaf College baseball team stayed alive in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) Baseball Playoffs by edging third-seeded Saint John's University, 13-12, in an elimination game on Friday at Becker Park.

St. Olaf (23-15) recovered from a pair of three-run deficits to take a 13-9 lead into the bottom of the ninth and held off Saint John's (25-16) in the final half inning to stay alive. The Johnnies held leads of 6-3 and 9-6 before the Oles scored seven consecutive runs to open up the four-run lead and survived a three-run home run in the bottom of the ninth to eliminate the hosts.

With the win, the Oles will face the loser of the game between top-seeded Gustavus Adolphus College and second-seeded Bethel University in another elimination game later in the day on Saturday. That game is slated for a 6 p.m. start but will not start on time after the St. Olaf-Saint John's game lasted over three hours.

Junior Frank Lavin was 3-for-5 with a walk, two doubles, two runs scored, and a career-five RBI to lead the way offensively for St. Olaf, which tallied 15 hits in the win. Senior Evan Hammonds was 3-for-6 with two RBI, while senior Matthew Kulesa was 2-for-4 with a double, a hit-by-pitch, two runs scored, and two RBI.

St. Olaf used five pitchers in the win, as senior Matthew Oberlander worked the first 5.0 innings, allowing six runs – all in the second inning – on eight hits in a no-decision. Junior William Silton picked up the first victory of his collegiate career despite allowing three runs in 1.1 innings of relief before senior David Scheil got the final two outs for his first collegiate save.

The Oles jumped out to a 3-0 lead with three runs in the top of the second, scoring on back-to-back two-out hits by Hammonds and Kulesa, with Kulesa's single scoring two. The Johnnies responded with six runs – including two home runs – in the bottom of the second to claim a 6-3 lead.

St. Olaf chipped away at its deficit, scoring single runs in the fourth, fifth, and sixth to tie the game at 6-6, but Saint John's took the lead back with three runs in the bottom of the seventh. The Oles strung together three two-out hits in the top of the eighth to tie the game, as Lavin doubled to deep right to score two and senior Jack Alley followed with an RBI single to center to tie the game for a second time.

In the top of the ninth, St. Olaf took the lead for good with four runs after the first two batters of the inning were retired. After Kulesa doubled and junior Mason Buck was walked intentionally, junior Breckin Hadley singled to center to score Kulesa to break the tie. After a hit batter, Lavin delivered his second two-out double that scored multiple runs, clearing the bases with a drive to deep right to give the Oles a four-run cushion.

Saint John's didn't go quietly, however, starting the bottom of the ninth with a single, a walk, a fly out, and a three-run home run to get within a run. After relieving Silton, Scheil gave up a single and a stolen base that got the tying run in scoring position before getting a fly out and a swinging strikeout on a full count to end the game.