AA St. Paul Saints

Saints Walk Off Two Wins in Marathon Day

Published on May 11, 2008 under American Association (AA)
St. Paul Saints News Release


ST. PAUL, MN (May 11, 2008) - The St. Paul Saints may have missed dinner reservations with their mother's on Sunday evening as they played over six hours of baseball, but came away with a double header sweep, winning both games in walk off fashion, 5-4 in game one and 6-5 in 12 innings in game two.

The Saints won game one in dramatic fashion scoring four in the last inning to win it, but game two may have topped game one's drama. Double headers are seven inning affairs, but game two needed 12. In the bottom of the 12th inning the Saints put runners at first and second with two outs. Brent Krause then drilled a balled off the base of the center field wall that scored Scooter Jordan for the game winner. Krause finished game two 3-7 with a double, RBI and a run scored.

With the Saints trailing 2-1 in the third they exploded for four runs when Krause led off with a double and scored on an RBI single from Marcel Longmire. Pichi Balet doubled him home. He finished the game 4-4 with a double, RBI and two runs scored before being removed in the sixth inning. Balet moved to third when Tim Brown's grounder was bobbled by Paul Bartolucci at short and scored on a passed ball. Kevin Sullivan knocked in Brown with a single to center.

The AirHigs made it 5-4 in the fourth on a solo homer from Billy Munoz, his first of the season and an RBI single from Bartolucci.

The AirHogs sent it to extra inning with a run in the sixth when Drew Holder singled and advanced to second on a bunt single from Aaron Garza. Cody Merell sacrificed the runners over and Bartolucci's grounded scored Holder to tie the game at five.

The Saints bullpen was once again unbelievable as Mike Bille, Tony Pierce, Craig Molldrem and Charlie Ruud combined to piutch 8.2 innings allowing one run on four hits while striking out seven.

In game one the Saints trailed 4-1 in the bottom of the seventh and Kevin Sullivan led off with a double to right-center off of closer James Morrison. Ben Thomas bounced one into center field that drove home Sullivan and cut the deficit to two. Julius Thames then hit a grounder to short that Paul Bartolucci bobbled which allowed the runners to reached safely at first and second. Two batters later Brian Sprout singled home Thomas to make it 4-3. After Brent Krause flew out to center, Marcel Longmire doubled off the right field wall scoring Thames and Sprout to win the game.

For the first time in the series the AirHogs got on the board first. In the second inning J.B. Tucker doubled to left. Two batters later Saints starter Alec Shepherd hit Drew Holder. With runners at the corners and one out Aaron Garza's sacrifice fly to center scored Tucker. A hit batsman and a walk loaded the bases and David Espinoza made it 2-0 with a single to right.

The Saints cut the deficit to one in the bottom of the inning when Longmire walked, stole second, advanced to third on a ground out and scored on Jason Colson's sacrifice fly.

The AirHogs made it 3-1 in the third when Tucker reached on an error by shortstop Sprout. Billy Munoz followed with a single and back-to-back walks forced in a run.

The Saints have Monday off and head to Louis and Clark Park on Tuesday, May 13 to take on the Sioux City Explorers at 7:05 p.m. The Saints send LHP Luis Villarreal (0-0, 4.50) to the mound against Explorers LHP Dusty Bergman (0-1, 9.00). The game can be heard on Relevant Radio 1330.

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American Association Stories from May 11, 2008


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