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IL St. Paul Saints

Saints Cool as Ice in 8-7 Comeback Win in 10 Over I-Cubs

June 3, 2022 - International League (IL)
St. Paul Saints News Release


DES MOINES, IA - Down to their final out in the ninth, the St. Paul Saints found a way to tie the game. With the tying run trying to score in the bottom of the 10th, Saints outfielder Cole Sturgeon made sure the game wouldn't go to the 11th. The Saints came from behind to win 8-7 in 10 innings over the Iowa Cubs on Saturday night at Principal Park. The Saints have now won seven of their last nine games.

With the Saints trailing 7-6 in the top of the ninth and one out, Alex Kirilloff drew a walk. With two outs, Roy Morales doubled down the left field line scoring Kirilloff from first tying the game at seven.

With the Michael Helman the placed runner at second in the 10th for the Saints, he took third on a groundout. With the infield in, Caleb Hamilton hit a grounder just to the left of the third baseman Carlos Sepulveda. It forced Sepulveda to take a step to his left, spin and throw home which was too late to get Helman as the Saints took a one run lead.

In the bottom of the 10th, Greg Deichmann was the placed runner at second. A groundout moved him to third. Darius Hill then hit a fly ball to medium right that Sturgeon caught, and he came up throwing to the plate as Deichmann tagged. The throw was a perfect one hop to José Godoy who laid down the tag on Deichmann to end the game.

Tyler Viza, who entered the game in the eighth inning, tossed 3.0 perfect innings of relief and struck out two to earn the victory.

The Saints got off to a good start in the first and Jake Cave wasted little time extending his hitting streak to a franchise high 15 when he tripled to right with two outs in the first. Morales knocked him home with a line drive single to left as the Saints took the 1-0 lead. Morales went 2-4 with a double and two RBI.

The I-Cubs used three singles in the second to tie the game. Nelson Maldonado singled to left followed by a single from Nelson Velazquez putting runners at first and second. With one out, Deichmann singled to left scoring Maldonado.

For the ninth consecutive game the Saints used the long ball to score a run and they got two in the third. Elliot Soto drilled a solo homer to left, his second of the season, putting the Saints up 2-1. Two batters later Alex Kirilloff hit a solo homer to left, his third of the season, giving the Saints a 3-1 lead.

The I-Cubs got one back in the bottom of the inning when Hill led off with a single to center. He stole second and, with two outs, scored on a single from Maldonado cutting the Saints lead to 3-2.

Sturgeon got things started for the Saints in the fourth with a triple down the left field line. Helman then clubbed his first Triple-A home run, a two-run shot to left, giving the Saints a 5-2 lead.

In the bottom of the inning, the I-Cubs got a long ball of their own, a solo homer by Deichmann, his fourth of the season, cutting the Saints lead to 5-3.

Soto led off the fifth for the Saints with a double to right and scored on a double from Kirilloff as they doubled up the I-Cubs 6-3. For the third time this season, Kirilloff finished a triple shy of the cycle going 304 with two RBI and two runs scored.

The I-Cubs scored for the fourth consecutive inning and got their second home run of the game. With one out Velazquez walked and John Hicks followed with a two-run homer to left, his sixth of the season, making it 6-5.

For the fifth consecutive inning the I-Cubs collected three hits in an inning and plated a couple of runs. With one out Maldonado singled to right. With two outs Hicks tied the game with an RBI double to right-center. Deichmann followed with an RBI double putting the I-Cubs up 7-6.

The Saints, however, would come back to win for just the second time this season when trailing after eight innings.

The same two teams meet in game five of the six-game series on Saturday night at 6:08 p.m. The Saints send RHP Jake Faria (0-2, 7.92) to the mound against I-Cubs RHP Luke Farrell (2-1, 3.79). The game can be seen on MiLB.TV and heard on KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM.

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International League Stories from June 3, 2022


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