![Pitchers Eddie Medina and Beck Wheeler were among the Saints player catching a mass ceremonial first pitch made up of St. Paul Chamber of Commerce members before Monday's home opener. ] JEFF WHEELER ï jeff.wheeler@startribune.com The St. Paul Saints faced the Chicago Dogs in their home opener Monday afternoon at CHS Field in St. Paul.](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/VR7NTYUVSOECUEGROTRTGC6BBU.jpg?&w=1080)
A second trip through the batting order against Chicago starter Connor Root was productive for the Saints, who put together a five-run fifth inning on the way to a 6-4 victory in their home opener Monday in front of an announced 8,122 at CHS Field.
Dante Bichette Jr.'s two-run single gave the Saints a 2-1 lead in the fifth, and after the Saints loaded the bases later in the inning, Max Murphy cleared them with a double.
Saints starter Matt Solter was solid through the first five innings, but he was pulled after loading the bases in the sixth, during which the Dogs scored two runs.
Tom Wilhelmsen closed it out in the ninth for his first save of the season.
Former U official is new Ball State A.D.
Beth Goetz, a former Gophers deputy athletic director who also served briefly as interim AD, was hired as the new director of intercollegiate athletics at Ball State. She will succeed Mark Sandy, who is retiring. Goetz also has held administrative posts at Butler, Connecticut and Missouri-St. Louis.
Two U players cited
Reggie Meyer, who worked eight scoreless innings in the Gophers' Big Ten-clinching victory over Rutgers, was chosen the conference's baseball pitcher of the week for the first time, the league announced.
Meyer is a junior from Totino-Grace.
Max Meyer, who pitched in both Gophers wins in the season-ending series against the Scarlet Knights, was chosen the freshman of the week.
