Iowa Belts Eight Homers to 20-6 Route Over St. Paul

DES MOINES, IA. – The Iowa Cubs crushed the St. Paul Saints in a bounce back victory 20-6 at Principal Park on Wednesday, April 16.

Compared to last night’s game, I-Cubs didn’t wait long to score as they scored seven runs in the first four innings. Jonathon Long and Kevin Alcántara scored in back-to-back plays to take the lead 2-0 in the bottom of the first.

Carlos Pérez added a double to his line in the bottom of the second inning and scored Reese McGuire to make it 3-0 in favor of Iowa.

In the bottom of the third inning, Alcántara ripped a double, his third of the season, into left field and drove home Moises Ballesteros for a 4-0 lead. McGuire followed with a one-out single and Pérez plated home Alcántara for 6-0 lead.

St. Paul added a run to cut into the lead in the top of the fourth inning as the lead was trimmed for moment 6-1.

Ballesteros had himself a day as he went 4-of-5, with two home runs, a double and three runs batted in as his first homer came in the bottom of the fourth inning and extended the lead to 7-1.

The Saints added another run to the score from a Carson McCusker solo shot as the lead was trimmed again to 7-2 momentarily.

In the bottom of the seventh inning, the Iowa Cubs blew the lead open as they put up five home runs in the frame for a 16-2 lead. Homers from Ben Cowles, Chase Strumpf, Owen Caissie, Alcantara and Perez all led the way to scoring nine runs in the inning including two 3-run shots from Cowles and Alcantara.

St. Paul immediately answered back in the top of the eighth with back-to-back homers and cut the lead down to 16-6.

Strumpf and Ballesteros homered their second ones of the day as the lead grew with two 2-run homers to 20-6.

The Iowa Cubs continue this week’s series against the St. Paul Saints on Thursday, April 17 as first pitch is slated for 12:08 p.m. CT and left-hander Jordan Wicks is slated to start for the Iowa Cubs.