ST. PAUL, MN(April 29, 2008) – The image in the top of the fourth inning told the story. On the mound for the St. Paul Saints was the 53-year-old knuckleballer Jon Secrist. Standing at the plate was the 4’7’ inch female hitter for the Ibaraki Golden Golds, Ayumi Kataoka. It was a moment the 1,923 at Midway Stadium will remember forever as the Saints lost 3-2 to the Golden Golds on Tuesday night.

 

            Secrist walked Kataoka, who stole second and scored on a two-out double by Kenta Sasaki. That was the only run Secrist allowed in his 2.0 innings of work. He gave up the one hit, walked one and struck out two. He retired the side in order in the fifth.

 

            The Saints once again pitched well allowing just five hits, but three errors proved a little too costly and helped plate runs in the second and third. In the second Masaru Soto reached on shortstop Ryan Priddy’s fielding error. Alec Shepherd walked Katsuyaki Ikegami and two wild pitches later a run scored to make it 1-0 Golden Golds.

 

            In the third Takuya Sakamaki reached on Brian Sprouts error at third, moved to second on a wild pitch and scored on a single by Tadaharu Sakai to make it 2-0.

 

            The Saints scored a run in the third when the Saints loaded the bases on three straight singled from Andre Marshall, Priddy and Scooter Jordan. Julius Thames’ ground out plated a run.

 

            Two local products, Brian Whinnery from the University of St. Thomas and Kyle Foster, from Hamline University, pitched 2.0 shutout innings each while Foster struck out four.

 

            The Saints will head to Miesville on Friday night for a 7:35 p.m. game against the Sioux City Explorers.