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Saints Home Win Streak Snapped at Seven, Fall to RedHawks 7-1

June 12, 2019 - American Association (AA) - St. Paul Saints News Release

ST. PAUL, MN - The St. Paul Saints ran into one of the better pitchers in the league on Wednesday afternoon at CHS Field. They were stymied for 5.0 innings by left-hander Sebastian Kessay and couldn't manage much against the Fargo-Moorhead RedHakws bullpen as they lost for the first time at home in eight games 7-1 in front of 7,808. The loss drops the Saints to 16-8 on the season.

The two teams traded runs in the first as Dustin Crenshaw, coming off of a complete game five-hit shutout, gave up three straight singles to start the game. Devan Ahart's RBI groundout to second gave the RedHawks a 1-0 lead. Correlle Prime then hit a line drive back to the box that Crenshaw knocked down and threw home to get a sliding Tim Colwell. Crenshaw got out of the inning by getting T.J. Bennett to ground out.

In the bottom of the first inning Max Murphy jumped on the first pitch of the inning drilling a solo shot over the centerfield wall. He became just the third player to homer over the St. Paul Eye Clinic batter's eye at CHS Field, joining Joe Dunnigan of the RedHakws (2015) and the Saints Burt Reynolds (2018). It was Murphy's second home run to lead off the bottom of the first in as many days and his sixth of the season. It was the lone run Kessay allowed as he went 5.0 innings allowing one run on four hits while walking two and striking out seven.

Both pitchers settled down after that putting up zeroes in the second and third. In the fourth, however, Ahart started the inning with a ground ball that took a bad hop off the shoulder of first baseman Devon Rodriguez for an infield single. After a groundout moved Ahart to second, Bennett's RBI double scored Ahart to make it 2-1.

In the sixth, Crenshaw gave up a leadoff single to Ahart. With one out Bennett walked and that brought up Brian Olson who hit a one hop smash past shortstop Blake Schmit that scored Ahart to make it 3-1. Crenshaw went 6.0 innings allowing three runs on eight hits while walking two and striking out one.

The Saints offense managed just one runner to second base after the home run and that came in the seventh. Jeremy Martinez led off with a single. He has now reached base safely in 19 consecutive games. With two outs Chesny Young singled to center moving Martinez to second, but Dan Motl's grounder to third, which was bobbled by Leobaldo Pina before he picked up the ball and stepped on the bag, ended the inning.

Saints reliever Ryan Zimmerman was superb for 2.2 innings of relief, but with two outs in the ninth the RedHawks blew it open as Tim Colwell hit a solo homer to right, his third of the season, to make it 4-1. Pina singled, stole second and scored on Ahart's RBI single giving the RedHawks a 5-1 lead. Correlle Prime then blasted a two-run homer to right, his third of the season, to finish the scoring.

The same two teams meet in the finale of the three-game series on Thursday night at 7:05 p.m. at CHS Field. The Saints send RHP Eddie Medina (4-0, 1.13) to the mound and the RedHawks are TBA. It is Talk Minnesota To Me presented by Cub. The game can be heard on KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM and seen on the Saints Cable Network, cable access channels in and around the Twin Cities area.

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