St. Paul Beats Omaha 11-2 in Series Opener
PAPILLION, NEB. – The St. Paul Saints (33-25/75-57) beat the Omaha Storm Chasers (26-30/59-71) in the series opener on Tuesday, 11-2. Carson Roccaforte hit a home run and Abraham Toro went 2-for-4, but the Storm Chasers trailed all night and couldn’t make a comeback. The Saints opened the scoring with
PAPILLION, NEB. – The St. Paul Saints (33-25/75-57) beat the Omaha Storm Chasers (26-30/59-71) in the series opener on Tuesday, 11-2. Carson Roccaforte hit a home run and Abraham Toro went 2-for-4, but the Storm Chasers trailed all night and couldn’t make a comeback.
The Saints opened the scoring with a 3-run home run off Omaha starter Tony Gonsolin (0-1) in the top of the 1st inning to take a 3-0 lead, then extended it to 4-0 in the top of the 2nd inning on a double and fielding error that allowed a run to score.
Carson Roccaforte responded with a solo home run off Saints starter, MLB rehabber Joe Ryan, in the bottom of the 2nd inning to make it a 4-1 game, but St. Paul hit a home run of its own in the top of the 3rd inning off Gonsolin to bring the score to 5-1.
Gonsolin came back out for the top of the 4th inning, and after striking out the first batter of the frame, Ethan Bosacker took over and sat down the next two hitters for a scoreless frame.
The Storm Chasers called back on Bosacker in the top of the 5th inning and he worked a scoreless frame, but the right-hander surrendered a 2-run double and came out of the game with a runner on 2nd and nobody out in the top of the 6th inning. Luke Little relieved Bosacker, but couldn’t finish the frame, allowing the inherited runner to score on an RBI triple and two more runs on a wild pitch and RBI single to give St. Paul a 10-1 edge. Ben Sears took over for Little with the bases loaded and two outs and retired the final batter of the inning to get out of the frame.
Sears allowed a solo home run in the top of the 7th inning to make it 11-1, but Alejo Lopez connected for an RBI single in the bottom half to cut the deficit to 11-2.
Lucas Erceg pitched a 1-2-3 top of the 8th inning, then Scott Alexander did the same in the top of the 9th inning with Omaha relievers retiring the final 8 Saints hitters of the night, but the Storm Chasers couldn’t score anymore, finishing the 9-run loss.
The Storm Chasers will host the Saints again on Wednesday for the second game of the series. First pitch is scheduled for 12:05 P.M. CT and Ryan Ramsey is in line to start for Omaha.