Bechtold Homers Twice, Jurado and Henriquez Combine On Three-Hitter In 8-1 Win Over Bats

_ST. PAUL, MN _*(September 13, 2022) - *Andrew Bechtold homered 14 times at Double-A Wichita this season. He had yet to homer at Triple-A in 23 games. That ended on Tuesday night when he homered twice. Ariel Jurado and Ronny Henriquez did the rest on the mound combining on a three-hitter in an 8-1 victory over the Louisville Bats on Tuesday night at CHS Field.

Matt Wallner started the Saints bottom of the first with a double down the right field line and advanced to third on the fielding error by right fielder Lorenzo Cedrola. A sacrifice fly from Cole Sturgeon put the Saints on the board giving them a 1-0 lead.

The Saints added to their lead in the second loading the bases without a hit. With one out, Braden Bishop reached on a two base throwing error by second baseman Leonardo Rivas. Back-to-back walks to Nash Knight and Andrew Bechtold loaded the bases. With two outs, Wallner drilled a two-run double high off the wall in right giving the Saints a 3-0 lead. Wallner went 3-4 with two doubles, two RBI, and a run scored.

Jurado, meanwhile, retired the first eight batters he faced before giving up a two-out single, that ricocheted off his glove, to Lorenzo Cedrola in the third. Jurado went 5.0 shutout innings allowing one hit while walking one and striking out four.

Bechtold, who had a solid series on the road in Toledo, showed his pop in the fourth. After a walk to Knight, Bechtold clubbed a two-run homer to left-center, his first of the season at Triple-A, increasing the lead to 5-0.

The Saints plated three in the fifth extending their lead to 8-0. Chris Williams led off with a walk, moved to second on a fielder’s choice, took third on a fielder’s choice, and scored on a sacrifice fly from Bishop making it 6-0. With two outs and a man on, Bechtold drilled his second home run of the night, a two-run shot to right. He finished the night 2-3 with two homers, his second two homer game of his career, four RBI, also the second of his career, and scoring two runs.

Henriquez gave up a one out single in the sixth before retiring seven in a row. The lone run came in the eighth courtesy of a two-out solo homer from Michael Papierski, his second of the season, to make it 8-1. Henriquez went 4.0 innings allowing one run on two hits while fanning three in picking up his first save of the season.

The same two teams meet in the second game of the six-game series on Wednesday evening at 7:07 p.m. at CHS Field. The Saints send RHP Simeon Woods Richardson (1-0, 3.38) to the mound against Bats RHP Levi Stoudt (0-2, 6.48). The game can be seen on the Saints Broadcast Network, cable access channels in and around the Twin Cities area, and MiLB.TV and heard on KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM.