Saints Tie Season High In Runs, Demolish Storm Chasers 14-1

_ST. PAUL, MN _*(May 27, 2023) - *Perhaps it’s shades of things to come for the St. Paul Saints offense. Catapulted by a season-tying high seven-run fifth, the Saints tied their season high in runs and their 16 hits fell just one shy of a season-high in a 14-1 shellacking of the Omaha Storm Chasers on Saturday night at CHS Field in front of 6,386. The win improves the Saints to 26-22 on the season.

The Saints jumped on Storm Chasers starter Jonathan Heasley in the second as the first five hitters reached. Mark Contreras led off with an infield single to short. Tyler White walked and Andrew Bechtold made it 1-0 with an RBI double down the third base line. Hernán Pérez made it 3-0 with a two-run single down the first base line.

The Storm Chasers got their lone run in the fifth on a leadoff homer from Johan Camargo, his first of the season, cutting the Saints lead to 3-1. It was the lone blip on an otherwise fantastic night for Saints starter Randy Dobnak. He went 5.0 innings allowing one run on four hits while walking four and striking out five.

The Saints blew the game wide open in the fifth with a seven-run inning capitalizing on two bases loaded clearing hits. The Saints loaded the bases to start the inning with a Contreras single to center and back-to-back walks. Pérez cleared the bases with a triple off the wall in right-center giving the Saints a 6-1 lead. Pérez finished the night 3-5 with a triple, career-tying high five RBI, and a run scored. With one out, Jair Camargo knocked home Pérez with a single to left increasing the lead to 7-1. A single to center by Andrew Stevenson extended his hitting streak to 15-games and that was followed by Royce Lewis reaching on a fielding error by Angelo Castellano at short which loaded the bases. Contreras unloaded them with a sinking line drive double to left giving the Saints a 10-1 lead. Contreras went 3-5 with a double, three RBI, two stolen bases, and two runs scored.

In the sixth, the Saints continued pouring it on. Camargo collected his third hit of the night with a single to left and that was followed by a two-run homer to right from Andrew Stevenson, his third of the season, putting the Saints up 12-1.

Lewis capped off the night with a two-run homer in the eighth, his fourth in eight Major League rehab games, making it 14-1. Lewis finished the night 2-5 with a home run, two RBI, and a run scored.

The same two teams meet in the finale of the six-game series on Sunday evening at 5:05 p.m. The Saints send RHP Simeon Woods Richardson (0-5, 7.12) to the mound against Storm Chasers RHP Max Castillo (0-5, 6.86). The game can be seen on the Saints Broadcast Network, cable access channels in and around the Twin Cities, the Bally Live app (free), and MiLB.TV (subscription), and heard on KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM.