RIVER FALLS, Wis. – The St. Olaf College baseball team got six shutout innings from fifth-year senior Hunter Barber on its way to a 5-0 win in game one before Augsburg University won a pitchers' duel in game two, 2-1, on Sunday afternoon at First National Bank of River Falls Field.

Barber struck out a career-high 11 batters and scattered five hits over six innings and the St. Olaf (8-8, 2-2 MIAC) offense broke through with five runs over the middle innings in game one. In game two, three Augsburg (10-11, 2-2 MIAC) pitchers limited the Oles to four hits and Gage delivered two two-out, run-scoring singles to help the Auggies salvage a split.

St. Olaf is back in action on Tuesday, April 12 when the Oles host Macalester in their home opener starting at 2:30 p.m. at Mark Almli Field.

St. Olaf 5, Augsburg 0 | Box Score

Barber and Jake Skogrand kept both offenses in check over the first three innings before St. Olaf plated two runs in the fourth and three in the fifth for the lone runs of the game. Barber made the two multi-run innings stand up by surrendering just five hits and striking out 11 over the first six innings before sophomore Derek Hansen threw a scoreless seventh inning to finish off the win.

The Oles broke through in the fourth with back-to-back run-scoring hits from fifth-year senior Matthew Muller and first year Matthew Kulesa. With a runner on second and two outs, Muller doubled to left center to open the scoring before coming in to score on a double down the left-field line by Kulesa.

Barber pitched around a pair of two-out singles in the bottom of the fourth to keep it a 2-0 game before St. Olaf put up three runs in the top of the fifth. Junior Harald Borg and sophomore Sean Goldman started the inning with back-to-back singles before sophomore Sam Lavin dropped down a bunt that resulted in a throwing error and both runners coming in to score. Lavin scored the game's final run on a passed ball with all three runs scoring before the first out of the inning.

Steven Salz had three of Augsburg's five hits in the game. Skogrand suffered the loss after allowing five runs on five hits with six strikeouts in five innings of work. Owen Bernards threw two scoreless innings of relief for the Auggies.

Augsburg 2, St. Olaf 1 | Box Score

Myer Schmitz, Isaac Flynn, and Brandon Lockhart combined to limit St. Olaf to one run in game two and Gage's two RBI singles were the difference, as Augsburg gained a split with single runs in the fifth and seventh to overturn a 1-0 deficit.

Schmitz struck out six over 5.2 innings of three-hit, one-run ball for the Auggies before giving way to Flynn, who earned the win with 2.1 innings of shutout relief. Lockhart slammed the door with a 1-2-3 ninth inning to pick up the save.

First year Jacob Fickenscher struck out a career-high six batters and allowed just two runs on five hits with no walks over 6.1 innings of work for St. Olaf. Senior Jonah Smithson struck out two over his 1.2 innings of relief work.

The Oles had a chance to take an early lead in the second but hit into a double play with runners on the corners and one out. St. Olaf eventually broke the deadlock with its lone run of the game in the top of the fourth, as Lavin singled, stole second, advanced to third on an error, and scored on a single by sophomore Joey Glampe, who picked up his team-leading 15th RBI of the season.

Gage drove in a run with a two-out single in the fifth to tie the game and knocked in the winning run with a two-out single through the right side in the seventh. St. Olaf mounted a threat in the top of the eighth with back-to-back walks to start the inning but could not advance the runners.