I-Cubs Take Series with Fourth Straight Win

DES MOINES, IA – The Iowa Cubs (78-62) won the series over the St. Paul Saints (80-62) with a 7-5 victory, Saturday at Principal Park.

It was all Iowa early, as they scored three runs in the first on an RBI double from Matt Mervis and an error by shortstop Hernan Perez. Chase Strumpf hit a solo home run in the second to make it 4-0 Iowa after two.

Two more runs were pushed across in the third on a single from Brennen Davis and a sacrifice fly from Cole Roederer. Up 6-0 after three innings, Caleb Kilian continued to cruise.

Kilian allowed just two earned runs on three hits and one walk over 6.0 innings pitched, striking out four batters along the way. His two earned runs came in his final inning of work, when Gilberto Celestino scored on a throwing error and Austin Martin came around on an RBI single from Trevor Larnach.

Jared Young brought Iowa’s lead back to five runs on an RBI single in Iowa’s half of the sixth. The I-Cubs got a scoreless inning from Michael Rucker to keep the game 7-2, but St. Paul scored three runs in the eighth to make it close.

A double from Michael Helman followed by an RBI ground out and a sacrifice fly brought the score to 7-5. The Saints got the tying run aboard in the ninth, but Brendon Little struck out the final batter to secure Iowa’s fourth straight win.

POSTGAME NOTES:

• Chase Strumpf went 2-for-4 with two runs scored, a home run and a run batted in out of the nine-hole. The infielder is now hitting .205 this season with Iowa.
• Caleb Kilian earned his team-leading eighth win of the year, tossing six innings of two-run ball. The righty allowed just three hits and a walk while striking out four.

Iowa and St. Paul will play the sixth and final game of their series tomorrow afternoon, with first pitch from Principal Park scheduled for 1:08 pm. You can listen to all Iowa Cubs games on Hope AM940 and stream them for free on the Bally Live App. For more information and tickets, visit www.iowacubs.com.