The St. Paul Saints defeated the Lincoln Saltdogs 10-5 in their exhibition opener at Midway Stadium in front of an announced crowd of 1,338.

The Saints sent 11 men to the plate and scored six runs in the fifth to take the lead for good. Brian Sprout got the scoring started in the inning with a single to left, scoring Julius Thames to cut the deficit to 5-2. With the bases loaded, Marcel Longmire knocked in two with a single to left. Two batters later, Jason Colson walked with the bases loaded to tie the score. Kevin Sullivan gave the Saints a 6-5 lead with a single to left and Thames finished the scoring in the inning with an RBI groundout.

Play Golf Minnesota Week toughing it out Despite the flurries, Play Golf Minnesota Week began Monday and will continue through Sunday with daily themes, discounts and giveaways designed to promote golf throughout the state.

The Minnesota Golf Association and the Minnesota Section PGA created Play Golf Minnesota Week, and several golf facilities across the state are participating. Remaining daily themes include Senior Day and Free Lesson Day on Thursday.

Go to playgolfminnesota.com for details on what is available each day, and to find out how to win two tickets to the U.S. Women's Open at Interlachen Country Club in June, two tickets to next year's PGA Championship at Hazeltine National and a spot in the 3M Championship Pro-Am on July 16 at the TPC of the Twin Cities.

MARK CRAIG

Etc. • Karl Burdis, a national junior record-holder in Ireland, has signed a letter of intent to swim for the Gophers. Burdis, of Dublin, holds Irish junior records in the 100-meter long-course backstroke and in the 50- and 100- meter short-course backstroke. He also broke the 50-meter backstroke senior long-course record. He is unbeaten in Ireland in the 50- and 100-meter backstroke since the age of 13.

• Two Minnesotans have been selected alternate captains for the 2008 U.S. men's national hockey team. Mark Stuart of Rochester and Zach Parise of Faribault were chosen as alternates to captain Jeff Halpern of Potomac, Md., by coach John Tortorella. Stuart plays for the Bruins, Parise for the Devils, Halpern for the Lightning. Team USA beat Sweden 5-1 on Sunday night in Portland, Maine, in its lone tuneup before beginning play in the International Ice Hockey Federation World Championship that begins Friday with a game against Latvia in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

• Former Gopher Avery Ticer claimed the men's open singles title while Marina McCollom of Ames, Iowa, won the women's open championship at the U.S. Professional Tennis Association's Indoor Championships at Minnesota's Baseline Tennis Center on Sunday.

FROM STAFF AND NEWS SERVICES