COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. – The St. Olaf College baseball team was held to four runs in a 1-0, 10-inning loss and a 9-4 defeat to Saint John's University in a Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) doubleheader on Sunday afternoon at Becker Park.

Saint John's (16-11, 7-5 MIAC) got a 10-inning, two-hit shutout from Matthew Magnuson and scratched across a run in the bottom of the 10th to take the opener from St. Olaf (10-20, 5-7 MIAC). The Johnnies scored eight early runs in game two on their way to the sweep of the Oles, who hit just .175 (10-for-57) on the day.

St. Olaf will host Hamline University in a doubleheader on Tuesday, April 21 starting at 2:30 p.m. at Mark Almli Field.

Saint John's 1, St. Olaf 0 (10 inn.) | Box Score

Senior Kevin Steel turned in 8.0 shutout innings for St. Olaf, but the Oles could not get anything going against Magnuson, who allowed just two hits and two walks with eight strikeouts in the 10-inning complete game for the Johnnies. Steel and sophomore Josiah Utsch kept Saint John's scoreless before an error with two outs allowed the lone run of the game to score.

St. Olaf had an early opportunity to open the scoring with runners on second and third with one out in the top of the second after an error, a hit batter, and a sacrifice bunt. Magnuson got out of the inning unscathed, however, by getting an out at the plate on a fielder's choice and a strikeout.

Both of the Oles' hits in the game came in the top of the fourth. Senior Henry Black led off with a single but was erased on a double play. Junior Cole Pleimann followed with a single but was left at first.

Steel stranded two Johnnies on base in the bottom of the eighth to finish his day and lowered his ERA to 0.82 in four MIAC starts spanning 22.0 innings with the 8.0 shutout frames. St. Olaf was unable to take advantage of a leadoff walk in the top of the 10th after Pleimann was left at second following a sacrifice bunt.

In the bottom of the 10th, Utsch retired back-to-back batters after a single to start the inning. Owen Amrhein stole second with two outs before scoring on an error to end the game.

Saint John's 9, St. Olaf 4 | Box Score

Saint John's scored five runs in the second and three more in the third to build an early 8-1 lead on its way to finishing off the sweep. Seven Johnnies had at least one hit in the win, and Dylan Bloom held St. Olaf to one run on five hits over 6.0 innings for the hosts.

Senior Jack Pettit had three of St. Olaf's eight hits in the loss, going 3-for-4 with one RBI and two runs scored. Senior Christopher Woodside added two hits, while senior Mason Buck got on three times by going 1-for-2 with a pair of walks.

The Oles put a run on the board in the top of the first for their first run of the day. Senior Jack Pettit singled to start the game, Buck drew a walk, and Black laid down a bunt to advance both runners for junior Kanen Kreafle, who grounded out to score Pettit.

Saint John's scored five runs on six hits in the bottom of the second before adding three more runs in the third to go up by seven. With St. Olaf still down by seven in the sixth, Pettit and Buck started the inning with back-to-back singles but did not move from first and second.

After the Johnnies pushed their lead to 9-1 in the bottom of the sixth, the Oles got three runs in the top of top of the seventh, as Pettit singled a run with two outs before the final two runs scored on an error.