AA St. Paul Saints

Pitching the Name of the Game as Saints Split Double Header with Jackals

Published on June 5, 2012 under American Association (AA)
St. Paul Saints News Release


LITTLE FALLS, NJ (June 5, 2012) - The wet weather at Yogi Berra Stadium on the campus of Montclair State left both offenses soggy during the double header on Tuesday night. In game one the Saints got a superb pitching performance from Robert Coe to win 2-0, but in game two it was Jackals starter Steve Fox who shined as the Saints lost 3-2.

In game one of the double header Coe, in just his fifth ever professional start was masterful pitching his first complete game and earning the three-hit shutout. Coe gave up a lead-off single in the second to Nick Giarraputo, but got a strike out and a double play to end the inning.

In the fifth he walked Giarraputo to lead off the inning and gave up a single to Carlos Guzman. After Danny Santiesteban's fly ball moved Giarraputo to third, Coe settled down and struck out Steve Caseres. He walked Chris Henderson to load the bases, but got Gaetano Giunta to ground out to end the inning.

In the seventh Coe gave up a two out single to Santiesteban, but retired Caseres to finish off the complete game shutout. Coe went 7.0 shutout innings allowing three hits while walking two and striking out three.

The Saints got Coe all the run support he needed in the fifth when Adam Frost led off with a single. He moved to second on a sacrifice by Jim Rapoport, advanced to third on Jose Hernandez' fly ball and scored when Shane Costa hit a comebacker, but pitcher Matt Chico fell, had the ball carom off of him and Costa reached on an error allowing Frost to score giving the Saints a 1-0 lead.

The Saints added an insurance run in the seventh when Hernandez walked with two outs, stole second and scored on Costa's single.

In game two the Saints got off on the right foot when Hernandez launched a solo homer to left, his first of the season and extended his hitting streak to 13, to give the Saints a 1-0 lead. Unfortunately, for the Saints, that would represent half their hits in the game. It was the only inning Fox wouldn't strike out a hitter.

In the bottom of the first Chris Odegaard ran into his only trouble when Giunta led off with a single. Giunta stole second and moved to third on a fly out by Angel Berroa. Bryan Sabatella followed with a walk and he stole second. After a strikeout to Francisco Caraballo, Giarraputo, who came into play hitting .396, took a two-strike pitch back up the middle for a two-run single giving the Jackals a 2-1 lead. Carlos Guzman followed with a slicing fly ball double to left scoring Giarraputo to make it 3-2.

Fox took over from there striking out three in the second, two in the third and two in the fourth. He would strike out a career tying high 10 on the night and the Saints would strike out a season tying high 11 times.

The Saints managed their last hit of the game in the fifth when Ronnie Bourquin doubled and with one out moved to third on a throwing error by Berroa off the bat of Adam Frost. Rapoport would hit a sacrifice fly to center scoring Bourquin, however, Frost rounded second, then upon returning to first, never re-touched second and was called out when the Jackals tagged second.

The same two teams will meet in game three of the four game series on Wednesday morning at 11:05 a.m. eastern and 10:05 a.m. central. The Saints are TBA while the Jackals send LHP Jon Kibler (2-0, 7.90). The game can be heard on Club 1220 KLBB.

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