Burt Reynolds hit a two-run homer in the first inning and Brady Shoemaker a solo shot in the sixth as the St. Paul Saints beat the Gary SouthShore RailCats 4-0 on Wednesday night at CHS Field in the opening game of a best-of-five North Division playoff series.
The announced crowd was 2,155. The American Association teams meet again at 7 p.m. Thursday in St. Paul.
Chris Nunn got the victory, holding Gary to no runs and three hits in a career-high eight innings. Reliever Beck Wheeler pitched a 1-2-3 ninth.
The Saints took a 3-0 lead in the second inning when Justin O'Conner doubled and scored on a wild pitch.
Ex-Saints executive named CEO of SABR
Former St. Paul Saints executive Scott Bush was named the CEO of the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR).
Bush, a native of Russell, Minn., was the Saints assistant general manager from 2011-2016. Since 2016, he has served as a senior vice president for business development for the Goldklang Group, which owns the Saints and four other minor league teams.
JOEL RIPPEL
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• Three former college runners Emi Trost (Minnesota Duluth), Joel Reichow (South Dakota State) and Dakotah Lindwurm (Northern State) were added to the Team USA Minnesota running roster, the training group announced.
• Glenn Barth, Richard Burton, Kevin Pendley and Bob Tieman won the MGA Amateur Net Team Championship with a 15-under 273 total for two rounds in Nisswa, Minn., one at The Preserve, the other at The Pines. They began the second day 13 shots off the lead but shot a 132 to finish in a three-way tie for the top spot before winning a scorecard playoff.
• Assistant men's hockey coach Todd Knott of Minnesota State Mankato was promoted to associate head coach.
• Carleton College is ranked No. 9 in the Women's Golf Coaches Association's Division III preseason poll.
