What a Ride, Wallner Collects First Cycle in 30-Season History of Saints in 18-6 Win over Storm Chasers
September 1, 2022 – International League (IL) – St. Paul Saints News Release
ST. PAUL, – Forget about Triple-A franchise history, Matt Wallner did something that had never been done since the St. Paul Saints began in 1993. With a triple in the eighth inning, he became the first ever player to hit for the cycle as the Saints drilled the Omaha Storm Chasers 18-6 on Thursday night at CHS Field in front of 5,047.
Wallner got his night started in the first with a double to right field. In the third, a check swing roller towards the third base side was fielded by the pitcher Drew Parrish, but Wallner raced down the line for a single. In the fourth, Wallner drilled a 456-foot, three-run homer to right, his fifth of the season, as part of a nine-run inning. After a strikeout in the fifth, Wallner came to the plate for what appeared to be his final at bat. With Michael Helman on at first, Wallner hit a rocket into right-center field. As Wallner got to second he began to slow up before deciding to turn it on. He stumbled around second, kept his balance, and dove head first into third just beating the throw to accomplish Saints history. For good measure, Wallner batted a second time in the eighth, ripping a two-run double to left for his first ever five-hit game. Wallner finished the night 5-6 with two doubles, a triple, a home run, and a career tying high six RBI.
The Saints offense, meanwhile, pounded out a season high 19 hits in scoring a season high 18 runs. Eight of the nine hitters collected a hit, all nine scored a run, and eight of nine collected an RBI.
With the Saints down 4-1 in the bottom of the fourth they sent 14 men to the plate and scored a season high nine runs on a Triple-A franchise record nine hits. Jermaine Palacios led off with an infield single to short. Palacios moved to second on a wild pitch and advanced to third on a single by Cole Sturgeon. A walk to John Andreoli loaded the bases. Nash Knight, who homered earlier in the game, came through with a two-run double down the left field line getting the Saints to within 4-3. With one out, Elliot Soto gave the Saints the lead with a two run double into left making it 5-4. Michael Helman drew a walk putting runners at first and second. After a pitching change, Wallner drilled a three-run homer to right, his fifth of the season, giving the Saints an 8-4 lead. Chris Williams then singled, and Palacios crushed a two-run homer to left, his team leading 13th of the season, giving the Saints a 10-4 lead.
With the Saints up 10-6 in the eighth, they batted around for the second time on the night sending 12 men to the plate. Helman led off the inning by reaching on a fielding error by the third baseman Jimmy Govern. Wallner completed the cycle by tripling him home to make it 11-6. Williams knocked home Wallner with a single to increase the lead to 12-6. Palacios walked and Sturgeon made it 13-6 with an RBI single to left. With one out, Knight reached on an infield single to short and David Bañuelos singled to knock in a run making it 14-6. After a pitching change that put in the third baseman Govern, Soto hit a ground ball to the new third baseman Logan Porter who couldn’t field it cleanly as the error allowed a run to score making it 15-6. Helman’s sacrifice fly gave the Saints a 16-6 lead and Wallner finished off his incredible night with a two-run double to left making it 18-6.
Williams, Sturgeon, and Knight all had three hits while Knight and Soto had three RBI a piece.
The same two teams meet in game four of the six-game series on Friday night at 7:07 p.m. The Saints send RHP Simeon Woods Richardson (1-0, 5.19) to the mound against Storm Chasers LHP Austin Cox (5-7, 4.56). The game can be seen on FOX9+ and MiLB.TV and heard on KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM.
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