NORTHFIELD, Minn. – The St. Olaf College baseball team got strong starts from senior Kevin Steel and first year Alex Oehlke and 25 hits from its lineup on its way to sweeping Concordia-Moorhead by scores of 13-6 and 9-2 on Wednesday afternoon at Mark Almli Field.

Steel threw 5.0 innings of two-run ball in the opener before Oehlke tossed 7.0 shutout innings in game two to help St. Olaf (7-15, 2-4 MIAC) take two from Concordia (8-11, 3-3 MIAC) for its first Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) wins of the season. In his return from injury, junior Cole Pleimann paced the Oles offensively by homering in both games and knocking in seven runs on the day.

St. Olaf will head across town for a doubleheader at Carleton College on Thursday, April 9 starting at 2:30 p.m. The twin bill will be the second in a row for both teams.

St. Olaf 13, Concordia-Moorhead 6 | Box Score

In the opener, the Oles staked Steel to an early cushion with six runs in the bottom of the first and went on to lead by as many as 13-2 before the Cobbers scored four runs in the seventh. Six hitters had multi-hit performances in St. Olaf's 15-hit attack.

Pleimann led the offensive barrage by going 3-for-4 with a double, a home run, two runs scored, and four RBI. Junior Kanen Kreafle also homered while finishing 2-for-4 with two runs scored and three RBI, while senior Henry Black was 2-for-4 with a double, two runs scored, and two RBI.

Steel used the early run support to pick up his first victory of the season, holding the Cobbers to two runs (one earned) on two hits with four walks and eight strikeouts over the first 5.0 innings. Sophomore Josiah Utsch got the final three outs to finish off the win.

After a 1-2-3 top of the first from Steel, St. Olaf strung together six consecutive two-out hits in the bottom of the first to put up a six-spot. Kreafle, Pleimann, senior Frank Lavin, senior Jack Pettit, and senior Calvin Keesler all delivered run-scoring hits in the inning.

Concordia got on the board with a run in the top of the second, but Pleimann blasted a two-run home run to left with two outs in the bottom of the inning to give St. Olaf an 8-1 lead. Pleimann also drove in the Oles' next run with an infield hit in the bottom of the fourth to make it 9-2.

St. Olaf put together another two-out rally in the bottom of the fifth to extend its lead to 13-2. With two on and two out, Black doubled to deep center to score a pair before Kreafle laced a two-run home run to right to cap the four-run frame. The Cobbers took advantage of a hit batter, two walks, a wild pitch, and a passed ball in a four-run seventh before Utsch retired all three batters he faced to end the game.

St. Olaf 9, Concordia-Moorhead 2 | Box Score

Oehlke was the story in game two as the first year shut out the Cobbers over the first 7.0 innings, allowing six hits and three walks while striking out five. Utsch again finished off the victory for the Oles, surrendering two unearned runs late while fanning three.

Pleimann completed a 5-for-8 day at the plate by going 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBI. Senior Christopher Woodwide added a pinch-hit, two-run homer late, while Black and first year Lucas Pusterla provided two hits apiece.

St. Olaf again gave its starter early run support with a three-run first. After Buck drew a one-out walk and Black doubled to put two runners in scoring position, the first run came in on a throwing error before a single by Pleimann and a sacrifice fly off the bat of Lavin added two more runs.

After the first two batters of the bottom of the second were retired, St. Olaf got consecutive hits from first year Dex Pudduck, Buck, and Black, with Black knocking in Pudduck with a single to right before Buck scored on a wild pitch to give the Oles a 5-0 lead.

Pleimann added to St. Olaf's lead with a two-run homer to center after Kreafle got on via a walk. In the sixth, Woodside slugged a two-run shot to center after Pusterla started the inning with a double to extend the Oles' cushion to 9-0. The Cobbers avoided the shutout with two unearned runs in the eighth before Utsch retired the visitors' final four batters of the game.