AA St. Paul Saints

Saints Survive Scare, 8-6

June 20, 2007 - American Association (AA)
St. Paul Saints News Release


SIOUX CITY, IA (June 20, 2007) - The St. Paul Saints had that eerie feeling on Wednesday night at Lewis and Clark Park as they watched a big lead slip away, but this time they managed to score two runs in the ninth to beat the Sioux City Explorers 8-6.

The Saints, who blew a seven run lead at Lewis and Clark Park on May 24, wasted a 6-0 lead and watched the Explorers tie the game at six with a four run eighth, but the Saints had enough resolve in the ninth. Marcel Longmire led off with a double to right-center.

He extended his hitting streak to 12 games and finished the night 3-5 with two doubles and three runs scored. Brian Sprout grounded out to second which moved Longmire to third. Adam Bourassa followed with a walk and Skip Adams drove home the winning run with a sac fly to center, scoring Longmire and moving Bourassa to second. Alex Fonseca added an insurance run with an RBI double to left.

Tony Pierce did the rest, striking out the side in the ninth to pick up his second victory of the season.

The Saints jumped out to a 6-0 lead and it started with an RBI double by Ben Thomas in the third.

The Saints got two in the fourth and fifth on a two run single from Ryan Priddy in the fourth and a passed ball scoring Brent Krause and an RBI single by Sprout in the fifth.

The Saints tacked on one more in the sixth on an RBI single by Thomas. He finished the night 3-5 with a double and two RBI.

Charlie Ruud looked great cruising through six, but ran into a little trouble in the seventh. He gave up a two-run double to Dustin Jones making it 6-2. Ruud went 7.0 innings allowing two runs on seven hits while walking one and striking out two.

The Explorers tied it in the eighth when Saints reliever Kyle Foster gave up four straight singles to start the inning, leaving the game with the bases loaded and the Saints up 6-3. Pierce came in and gave up a bases clearing double off the glove of a diving Sprout in left. Pierce settled down from there retiring the next six hitters.

The Saints are five games over .500 (21-16) for the first time this season and go for their first series sweep in six tries this season on Thursday night at 7:05 p.m. The Saints send LHP Jake Postlewait (4-4, 2.91) to the mound against Explorers RHP Ty Marotz (2-4, 4.11). The game can be heard on KBGY 107.5 FM.

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