​The Saints secured a victory in the series finale at Iowa, beating the I-Cubs 5-4 to halt a four-game skid. Orlando Arcia delivered a pivotal third-inning double that brought home Matt Wallner and Aaron Sabato, giving St. Paul a lead they would not relinquish. The two-out hit in the third stood up as the deciding run, setting the tone for the rest of the game. Following Arcia’s timely hit, the Saints maintained their slim advantage as they fought to close out the contest.
Iowa made a late push, scoring twice in the ninth inning and putting pressure on the visitors. However, reliever Trent Baker steadied the bullpen by striking out Christian Bethancourt to end the frame and secure the save for St. Paul. Baker’s emergence on the mound provided the cushion the Saints needed to weather the ninth-inning threat and preserve the win.
Offensively, the visitors got a pair of homers from Ben Ross and Kyler Fedko, giving them additional insurance and contributing to the final tally. The Saints received pitching support from Matt Bowman, who entered in relief of Aaron Rozek in the fifth inning. Bowman earned the win, delivering a strong relief performance to help his team snap the losing skid at Iowa.
The loss was another tough outing for the Saints, who had struggled to generate offense and sustained offense against the Cubs throughout the series. St. Paul ended a rough stretch by securing a much-needed win on the road, but the overall pattern of limited offensive production continued, as the Saints managed only five hits in the game. The result marked the fourth straight defeat at Iowa for the Saints, underscoring the ongoing challenge of scoring consistently against the Cubs.
In the broader context, the Saints had opened their road trip with a win in Iowa, signaling a potential turning point after the recent skid. While the Iowa series presented its share of adversity, the resilience shown by St. Paul—exemplified by Arcia’s crucial triple and the bullpen’s late-game execution—provided a hopeful note as the team continued its journey on the road. The victory offered a needed counterpoint to the earlier struggles and hinted at the possibility of stabilizing the offense and pitching staff as the season progresses.