Balazovic Solid, Saints Batter Storm Chasers Pitching in 9-4 Win
Baseball

Balazovic Solid, Saints Batter Storm Chasers Pitching in 9-4 Win

Liam White

September 3, 2022 – International League (IL) – St. Paul Saints News Release

ST. PAUL, MN – Jordan Balazovic is starting to come into his own over the final few weeks of the season. He had one of his best outings of the season, set a season high in strikeouts and the offense did the rest in a 9-4 victory over the Omaha Storm Chasers on Saturday night at CHS Field.


Balazovic came out firing in the first inning getting the first two outs by way of the strikeout before a double and walk put two on. Balazovic would fan Brewer Hicklen looking to end the inning.

A costly error by the Storm Chasers allowed the Saints to plate four in the second. Cole Sturgeon led off with a walk. He stole second on a strikeout of John Andreoli. With two outs, David Bañuelos hit a grounder to third that went off the glove of the third baseman Nick Loftin allowing Sturgeon to score on the error making it 1-0. Elliot Soto followed with a double and Michael Helman walked to load the bases. Matt Wallner unloaded the bases with a double to right-center putting the Saints up 4-0. Wallner went 3-4 with two doubles, three RBI, and a run scored.

The Storm Chasers got their lone run against Balazovic in the fourth courtesy of a solo homer from Dairon Blanco, his 12th of the season, cutting the Saints lead to 4-1. Balazovic went 4.0 innings allowing one run on four hits while walking two and striking out a season high six. Over his last four outings he has allowed six runs in 16.0 innings for a 3.38 ERA.

In the fifth, the Storm Chasers got to within two as Maikel Garcia led off the inning with a walk. With one out, Major League rehabber Edward Olivares doubled him home making it 4-2.

The Saints answered right back in the bottom of the inning with Wallner leading off with a single to right-center. Chris Williams walked and a fielder’s choice by Mark Contreras put runners at the corners. Sturgeon then lined a single off the pitcher, Charlie Nueweiler’s glove allowing Wallner to score making it 5-2. Sturgeon finished the night 3-4 with an RBI and two runs scored. After a walk loaded the bases, Nash Knight’s fielder’s choice scored a run increasing the lead to 6-2.

In the bottom of the seventh the Saints grabbed two more. Sturgeon and John Andreoli started the inning with back-to-back singles. A wild pitched moved them up and Bañuelos knocked both runners home with a one out single to right giving the Saints an 8-2 lead.

The Storm Chasers made it a four-run game in the eighth. With two outs and nobody on, Freddy Fermin blooped a single into center. Blanco followed with an RBI double making it 8-3. Logan Porter came up next and singled to right scoring Blanco cutting the Saints lead to 8-4.

Chris Williams got one of those runs back in the bottom of the inning with a solo blast to left, his eighth of the season, increasing the lead to 9-4.

The same two teams meet in the finale of the six-game series on Sunday evening at 5:07 p.m. The Saint send RHP Josh Winder (0-0, 4.50) to the mound and the Storm Chasers are TBA. The game can be seen on 45TV and MiLB.TV and heard on KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM.

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BALAZOVIC SOLID, SAINTS BATTER STORM CHASERS PITCHING IN 9-4 WIN

ST. PAUL, MN – Jordan Balazovic is starting to come into his own over the final few weeks of the season. He had one of his best outings of the season, set a season high in strikeouts and the offense did the rest in a 9-4 victory over the Omaha Storm Chasers on Saturday night at CHS Field.

Balazovic came out firing in the first inning getting the first two outs by way of the strikeout before a double and walk put two on. Balazovic would fan Brewer Hicklen looking to end the inning.

A costly error by the Storm Chasers allowed the Saints to plate four in the second. Cole Sturgeon led off with a walk. He stole second on a strikeout of John Andreoli. With two outs, David Bañ uelos hit a grounder to third that went off the glove of the third baseman Nick Loftin allowing Sturgeon to score on the error making it 1-0. Elliot Soto followed with a double and Michael Helman walked to load the bases. Matt Wallner unloaded the bases with a double to right-center putting the Saints up 4-0. Wallner went 3-4 with two doubles, three RBI, and a run scored.

The Storm Chasers got their lone run against Balazovic in the fourth courtesy of a solo homer from Dairon Blanco, his 12th of the season, cutting the Saints lead to 4-1. Balazovic went 4.0 innings allowing one run on four hits while walking two and striking out a season high six. Over his last four outings he has allowed six runs in 16.0 innings for a 3.38 ERA.

In the fifth, the Storm Chasers got to within two as Maikel Garcia led off the inning with a walk. With one out, Major League rehabber Edward Olivares doubled him home making it 4-2.

The Saints answered right back in the bottom of the inning with Wallner leading off with a single to right-center. Chris Williams walked and a fielder’s choice by Mark Contreras put runners at the corners. Sturgeon then lined a single off the pitcher, Charlie Nueweiler’s glove allowing Wallner to score making it 5-2. Sturgeon finished the night 3-4 with an RBI and two runs scored. After a walk loaded the bases, Nash Knight’s fielder’s choice scored a run increasing the lead to 6-2.

In the bottom of the seventh the Saints grabbed two more. Sturgeon and John Andreoli started the inning with back-to-back singles. A wild pitched moved them up and Bañ uelos knocked both runners home with a one out single to right giving the Saints an 8-2 lead.

The Storm Chasers made it a four-run game in the eighth. With two outs and nobody on, Freddy Fermin blooped a single into center. Blanco followed with an RBI double making it 8-3. Logan Porter came up next and singled to right scoring Blanco cutting the Saints lead to 8-4.

Chris Williams got one of those runs back in the bottom of the inning with a solo blast to left, his eighth of the season, increasing the lead to 9-4.

The same two teams meet in the finale of the six-game series on Sunday evening at 5:07 p.m. The Saint send RHP Josh Winder (0-0, 4.50) to the mound and the Storm Chasers are TBA. The game can be seen on 45TV and MiLB.TV and heard on KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM.

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