The St Paul Saints and Sioux City Explorers finished off their three game series with a Wednesday afternoon Matinee in St Paul.
The Saints sent Pedro Hernandez to the mound to try and get the sweep of the Explorers in a series where neither team was expecting to be going for a sweep. He took care of business in the first inning, allowing only one hit, which was a infield single that Joey Paciorek threw into the stands, allowing Michael Lang, the batter, to advance to second. Hernandez was able to pitch around that minor miscue to hold the Explorers scoreless.
The Saints aslo had a baserunner in the first, when Mitch Elliott led off the inning with a base hit. He was stranded as the Saints went down in order after that, highlighted by Vinny Difazio, who is the hottest hitter for the Saints flying out to left, one of the few times he doesn't get a hit.
The teams would trade zeroes until the Explorers fourth inning, when Michael Lang led off the inning with a double. He would score when Brock Kjeldgaard doubled to left field. Noah Perio Jr then singled to center field, which advanced Kjeldgaard to third. Things would then get crazy when Ryan Court would try and squeeze Kjeldgaaed in. He was safe at home, as Difazio dropped the ball, but the Saints would then record an out at third base when Perio Jr tried getting an extra base. The inning would then end on a harmless flyout to center field.
The Saints would respond in their half of the fourth when Vinny Difazio led off the inning with a walk. Angelo Songco then singled to right, advancing Difazio to second. He then advanced to third on a wild pitch from Straka. Joey Paciorek then drove in Difazio with a single to short center field to cut the defecit to 2-1. That would be all they would get in the inning, as Robert Youngdahl struck out to end the inning.
The Explorers got another scoring chance in the fifth when Matt Koch led off with a single. Tim Colwell followed that up with a double that advanced Koch to third base. Michael Lang then hit into a fielder's choice as Paciorek fielded a ground ball and threw to Difazio to get Koch at home. Rene Tosoni then flew out to right fielder Mike Kvasnicka to get the Saints out of a sticky situation without any damage.
Sioux City would tack on another run in the sixth when Kjeldgaard led off the inning with his second double of the day. He advanced to third on a Noah Perio Jr ground out, then scored when Ryan Court flew out to Mitch Elliott in Center Field. That extended their lead to 3-1.
The Saints put together a rally in the seventh innning when Mike Kvasnicka and Joey Paciorek both led off the inning with base hits. Robert Youngdahl then moved them over with a beautiful sacrifice bunt. Dan Kaczrowski then walked to load the bases. Everybody would advance and the Saints would score a run on a passed ball that allowed Kvasnicka to score to trim the defecit to 3-2.
Seven innings is all the Saints would get out of Hernandez, as they brought in Drew Gay to pitch the eighth inning. After retiring the first batter he would give up a hit to Rene Tosoni. Brock Kjeldgaard would ground into a fielder's choice at second, but Tosoni would beat the throw to put two on with one out. The Saints would get out of the inning with no runs allowed.
The Explorers would get another scoring chance in the ninth when Tommy Mendonca led off the inning by getting hit by a pitch. Matt Koch then reached on a single to center field that advanced Mendonca to second base. He would come around and score on a error by shortstop Steve Nikorak to make it a 4-2 Sioux City lead.
Despite a furious attempt at a late rally, the Saints came up just short as the Explorers won 4-2 to avoid being swept. The Saints next play on Thursday night in Fargo, while Sioux City returns home to host the Amarillo Thunderheads.