FOUR-GOAL Bartosz Slusarski fired Albion into the Pontin's Holidays League Cup final.
The Polish international bagged a brace in either half in this Hawthorns semi-final as the Baggies second string scored six times for the second successive game.
Joss Labadie and David Worrall were also on target in the first half to give the hosts a 4-1 lead at the break after Barnsley striker Kim Christensen had cancelled out Slusarski's opener.
There was further good news for Albion as Jared Hodgkiss got 57 minutes under his belt on his return from a hernia operation.
Albion dominated the first half and took the lead inside five minutes.
The lively Josh Knight raced onto Worrall's terrific ball down the right and his pinpoint centre was slammed home by Slusarski from six yards.
The Baggies shot themselves in the foot less than a minute later when poor defending allowed Christensen to level.
But Craig Shakespeare's side were soon back on the attack and, in the eighth minute, Worrall skimmed the post with a cheeky back-heel from a Knight centre.
Labadie then headed just wide from Do-heon Kim's near-post corner.
Another Albion goal had been coming and it duly arrived in the 19th minute.
Slusarski beat the Tykes offside trap to race onto a long ball over the top before slotting past Barnsley keeper Kyle Letheren.
Former Albion hero Andy Johnson was playing as a makeshift centre-half in the Tykes defence and, from his attempted clearance, Kim saw a 30-yard volley palmed away by Letheren.
It was 3-1 in the 31st minute when Labadie pounced on Ryan Jennings' soft clearance and beat Letheren with a low 25-yard effort which the Barnsley keeper misjudged.
Further Albion pressure saw Kim smash the Tykes bar with a 25-yard volley. The rebound fell invitingly for Slusarski who fired over with the goal gaping.
It was only a reprieve for the visitors who conceded again two minutes before the break.
Worrall raced onto Labadie's ball down the right and cut inside before planting a left-footed shot past Letheren from the edge of the box.
It was a similar story after the break and Slusarski completed his hat-trick two minutes after the restart.
Knight outpaced Mark Devonshire down the left and squared for the striker to tap home.
The visitors threatened briefly when Jamil Adam headed wide from a Luke Fedorenko centre.
But it was 6-1 in the 63rd minute - and that man Knight was again the provider.
The Welsh pace ace ran to the edge of the Tykes penalty area before finding Slusarski with a clever reverse pass. The former Groclin Dyskobolia marksman beat Jennings before firing low past Letheren.
Barnsley went close to pulling a goal back three minutes later when Rohan Ricketts raced onto Johnson's ball over the top and volleyed over from ten yards.
But it took a fine Letheren save at full stretch to prevent sub Seb Lake-Gaskin adding a seventh with a right-footed drive.
Fellow Baggies sub Matthew Pike also went close during the dying stages following a terrific run from the edge of his own penalty area.
The centre-half beat three Tykes players and found Morrison out wide. The forward held onto the ball before picking out Pike's continued run into the box and he headed just wide.
ALBION (4-3-3): Danek; Hodgkiss (Nicholls 57), Martis, Cesar (Pike HT), Saied; Labadie, Worrall, Kim (Lake-Gaskin 68); Knight, Slusarski, S Morrison. Subs not used: Carlin, Hancox.
GOALS: ALBION: Slusarski (5, 19, 47 & 63), Labadie (31), Worrall (43). BARNSLEY - Christensen (6).
ATTENDANCE: 271.
ALBION STARMAN: Bartosz Slusarski.
