Tomscha Blasts Two Homers, Saints Win Sixth Straight 6-5

DES MOINES, IA (May 29, 2021) - It’s as if Damek Tomscha had played at Principal Park before. The North Sioux City High graduate played three state championships at the home of the Iowa Cubs, winning one of them, and proved how comfortable he was on Saturday night. Tomscha went 4-4 with two home runs and the St. Paul Saints hung on for a 6-5 victory over the I-Cubs to extend their winning streak to six games. At 12-11 they are over .500 for the first time this season.

With the Saints up 5-2 in the top of the ninth, Tomscha came to the plate a triple shy of the cycle. Instead, he crushed a 3-0 pitch over the left-center field wall for his second home run of the night, and third of the season, giving the Saints a 6-2 lead.

In the bottom of the ninth one of the most trusted relievers came on to finish it off, Andrew Vasquez. Unfortunately, he didn’t have his best stuff walking four of the five batters he faced before departing in a 6-3 game with one out and the bases loaded. Derek Law came on and gave up a two-run single off the outstretched glove of shortstop JT Riddle to make it 6-5. With runners at the corners and one out Law then got a huge strikeout of Vance Vizcaino. That brought up Abiatal Avelino who was 3-4 on the night. He hit a chopper over the glove of Law that second baseman Drew Maggi charged, fielded, and threw on the run to first. Tomás Telis made a great scoop as they just got Avelino to end the game.

The Saints had to come from behind to finish off their sixth straight win as the I-Cubs scored the first two runs of the game. In the first, Ian Miller led off with a single against starter Chandler Shepherd. An errant throw on a pickoff attempt sent Miller to second and a passed ball moved him to third. With two outs Taylor Gushue singled to left scoring Miller to make it 1-0.

In the third, Trayce Thompson led off with a single. With one out, an infield single by Vizcaino put runners at first and second. With two outs the I-Cubs made it 2-0 with an RBI single from Avelino, but Vizcaino got caught in a run down between third and home and was tagged out to end the inning.

The Saints took the lead in the fourth and started their rally with a two out walk to Ryan Jeffers. Riddle then reached on an infield single and the throw to first by the third baseman Avelino went into foul territory allowing Jeffers to score and cutting the deficit to 2-1. Ben Rortvedt then walloped a two-run homer to left, his first of the season, giving the Saints a 3-2 lead.

The game stayed that way because of the Saints bullpen. Robinson Leyer tossed 2.0 shutout innings while striking out three and Danny Coulombe went 2.0 shutout innings fanning four.

In the seventh the Saints added to their lead when Tomscha hit his first home run of the night, a solo blast to left making it 4-2. With one out Maggi tripled to right and scored on a groundout by Telis increasing the lead to 5-2.

Tom Hackimer pitched a scoreless ninth that set the stage for the heart stopping ninth.

The same two teams meet in the finale of the six-game series on Sunday afternoon at 1:08 p.m. The Saints send RHP Bailey Ober (1-0 1.50) to the mound against I-Cubs RHP Cory Abbott (1-2, 6.52). The game can be heard on KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM.