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AA St. Paul Saints

Saints Blow Four Run Ninth Inning Lead, But Win 12-8 in 12

July 2, 2015 - American Association (AA)
St. Paul Saints News Release


LINCOLN, NE (July 1, 2015) - There is a reason the St. Paul Saints have won just two series in 24 tries at Haymarket Park since the Lincoln Saltdogs began play in 2001. Disaster strikes at the worst times. The Saints were up four in the ninth, with two outs and nobody on and yet had to win it in the 12th, a 12-8 victory that took four hours and 12 minutes on Wednesday night, becoming the first team to reach 30 wins in the American Association.

The Saints had five consecutive hitters with two strikes and two outs and couldn't record the final out. With the Saints up 6-2 in the ninth and two outs Dylan Chavez walked Aaron Payne on a 3-2 pitch. With the count 3-2 on Eddie Young he doubled home Payne to make it 6-3. Chavez departed for closer Ryan Rodebaugh. On a 2-2 pitch Matt Forgatch singled home Young to make it 6-4. Jon Gaston reached on an infield single with the count 2-2. Finally, Curt Smith, on a 1-2 pitch, roped a two-run double to left, tying the game at six. After an intentional walk to Mitch Canham, Brian Joynt flew out to left to end the inning. It was the first blown save for Rodebaugh in eight chances this season.

With neither team scoring in the 10th and both teams trading runs in the 11th under the International Extra Inning Rule, the Saints played a 12th inning for the first time this season. With a runner starting at second, Willie Argo blasted a two-run homer to right-center, his sixth of the season, to make it 9-7. Argo finished the night 3-6 with a home run, two RBI and two runs scored. Vinny DiFazio and Ian Gac followed with back-to-back singles. With one out Mike Kvasnicka roped his career high third double of the game, tying a Saints franchise record that had been done 16 previous times, the last time by Craig Brazell on June 6, 2013 at Rockland, that scored DiFazio to make it 10-7. Kvasnicka finished the night 4-6 with three doubles, a home run, six RBI (one shy of his career high) and three runs scored. Robert Youngdahl then laid down a suicide squeeze scoring Gac to make it 11-7. The Saints finished the scoring with an RBI single from Anthony Phillips.

With the Saints trailing 1-0 in the second Kvasnicka hit a solo homer to right, his sixth of the season and fifth in five games, to tie it at one.

In the fourth Argo singled and DiFazio followed with a single. With two outs Kvasnicka doubled them both home to make it 3-1.

With the Saints leading 3-2 in the sixth DiFazio led off with a single. Gac was hit by a pitch to put runners at first and second. Angelo Songco followed with an RBI double, his fifth consecutive game with a double, to make it 4-2. Kvasnicka followed with a two-run double to make it 6-2.

Saints starter Robert Coe tossed 6.0 innings allowing two runs on five hits while walking two and striking out four.

It was the 27th four hour game in Saints history and they are now 11-16 in those contests.

The same two teams meet in the finale of the three game series Thursday night at 6:35 p.m. The Saints send RHP Dustin Crenshaw (5-1, 1.78) to the mound against Saltdogs LHP Kevin McGovern (2-1, 3.15). The game can be heard on Club 1220 KLBB.

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