Saints fall short in the ninth, Cubs win 6-5

The St. Paul Saints came out swinging Friday night at CHS Field, putting together an aggressive offensive start that seemed to position them for a strong home victory. Early extra-base hits, highlighted by Walker Jenkins’ standout performance at the plate, helped the Saints build momentum and establish a multi-run advantage through the first half of the game. Their lineup consistently pressured Iowa’s pitching staff early, turning quality contact into scoring opportunities.

St. Paul’s offense found success by capitalizing on timely hitting and productive at-bats, with contributions throughout the lineup helping them grab control by the fourth inning. Jenkins set the tone from the top, while key RBI moments from Kaelen Culpepper and others helped the Saints stretch their lead. At that point, the home crowd had reason to believe St. Paul was on track to even the series with a convincing win.

However, Iowa steadily chipped away as the game progressed, taking advantage of a quieter Saints offense over the final innings. After being held in check early, the Cubs’ middle of the order delivered when it mattered most, erasing the deficit with clutch extra-base hits and a powerful home run that shifted momentum. As St. Paul’s bats cooled, Iowa’s offense found the breakthrough it needed to swing the game in its favor late.

Despite a final push in the ninth inning, the Saints were unable to complete a comeback, leaving runners on base as the tying opportunity slipped away. What began as a promising night filled with offensive firepower ultimately turned into a frustrating 6-5 defeat. St. Paul showed flashes of dominance early, but missed chances and Iowa’s late surge proved costly in a tightly contested loss.