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IL St. Paul Saints

Saints Take Down Top Team in West, Crush Storm Chasers 13-7

May 14, 2024 - International League (IL)
St. Paul Saints News Release


ST. PAUL, MN - The St. Paul Saints entered play 8.5 games behind the Omaha Storm Chasers, who led the West Division and have the second best record in the International League, entering play on Tuesday morning. The Storm Chasers hadn't allowed more than 10 runs in any game this season and they'd lost just one game by more than four runs, an eight-run loss way back on April 18. None of those stats mattered as the Saints crushed a season-high four home runs and pounded the Storm Chasers 13-7 at CHS Field in front of 7,282.

Nearly everyone on the offense got involved as seven of the nine collected a hit, eight of nine scored a run, and seven of nine collected an RBI.

In the bottom of the second the Saints jumped out in front with a three spot. Alex Isola led off with a walk and, with one out, Chris Williams walked. Dalton Shuffield made it 2-0 with a two-run double to right-center. With two outs Diego Castillo looped an RBI single into center that increased the lead to 3-0.

After retiring the first nine men he faced, Caleb Boushley ran into trouble in the fourth inning as the first six men reached and scored, the first four on balls that weren't hit that hard. John Rave led off with a fly ball double to left. Drew Waters drove him home with a single to left making it 3-1. Nick Loftin's soft single to center moved Waters to third as Loftin took second on the throw to third. Nick Pratto tied the game at three with a two-run bloop single. Devin Mann gave the Storm Chasers a 5-3 lead with a two-run homer to right-center, his fourth of the season. The Storm Chasers went back-to-back when Ryan Fitgerald hit a solo homer to right-center making it 6-3.

Yunior Severino got one back for the Saints in the bottom of the inning with a solo homer to left, his sixth of the season, cutting the deficit to 6-4.

The Saints got to within a run in the fifth when Castillo led off with a walk, stole second, and Michael Helman walked. Matt Wallner then hit a ground ball to first that went under the glove of Mann as the error allowed Castillo to score getting the Saints to within 6-5.

For the third consecutive inning the Saints scored and this time they took the lead. Williams led off the inning with a solo homer to center, his second of the season, knotting the game at six. With one out Anthony Prato walked, stole second and third, and scored on a single to right by Castillo putting the Saints up 7-6. After a groundout moved Castillo to second, Helman lined an RBI single into center increasing the lead to 8-6.

Tyler Gentry led off the top of the seventh for the Storm Chasers with a triple to center that DaShawn Keirsey Jr. nearly robbed for a home run, but as he leaped to haul it in the ball hit off his glove, rolled on the top of the wall, and then caught it, but because the ball hit the wall the ball was considered live. Cam Devanney walked to put runners at the corners. After a sacrifice from Austin Nola moved Devanney to third, Rave singled to right scoring Gentry cutting the Saints lead to 8-7.

Alex Isola got that run back with a towering solo homer to left, his fourth of the season, making it 9-7.

Insurance was the name of the game in the bottom of the eighth as they scored for the fifth consecutive inning. Prato led off with a walk and moved to third on a double to left-center by Castillo. He finished the day 4-4 with a double, two RBI, and three runs scored. Keirsey Jr. looped an RBI single into left making it 10-7. Helman hit the Saints fourth home run with a three-run blast to left, his fourth of the season, putting the finishing touches on a 13-7 victory. Helman went 2-4 with a home run, four RBI, and a run scored.

The same two teams meet in game two of a six-game series at CHS Field on Wednesday night at 6:37 p.m. The Saints send RHP Louie Varland (1-1, 3.24) to the mound against Storm Chasers RHP Luis Cessa (1-2, 5.48). The game can be seen on the Saints Broadcast Network, cable access channels in and around the Twin Cities, MLB.TV, MiLB.TV, and the Bally Live app, and heard on KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM.

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