Festa Masterful, Wallner Homers For Third Straight Game In 3-1 Win Over Storm Chasers
PAPILLION, NE (May 29, 2025) - Pitching was the story for most of the night on both sides. David Festa, in his second outing since being shut down for 17 days, was on point across 5.0 shutout innings. The bullpen finished off the job, but only because Matt Wallner homered
PAPILLION, NE (May 29, 2025) - Pitching was the story for most of the night on both sides. David Festa, in his second outing since being shut down for 17 days, was on point across 5.0 shutout innings. The bullpen finished off the job, but only because Matt Wallner homered for the third straight game helping the St. Paul Saints to a 3-1 win over the Omaha Storm Chasers on Thursday night at Werner Park.
Festa was impressive all night. He gave up a leadoff infield single in the second and a two-out single in the third through the first three innings as he faced one over the minimum.
In the fourth, Festa put the first two guys on with a single and walk, but struck out Cam Devanney before getting two pop outs to end the inning. He went 5.0 shutout innings allowing three hits while walking one and striking out five. He threw 66 pitches, 40 for strikes.
The game stayed scoreless because Storm Chasers starter Thomas Hatch was just as impressive going 7.0 shutout innings allowing two hits while walking one and striking out four.
The Storm Chasers broke the seal in the seventh without a hit. Luke Maile reached on a two base throwing error by pitcher Ryan Jensen. That was followed by a walk. Brian O’Keefe’s sacrifice bunt put runners at second and third. Nick Pratto then walked to load the bases. Tyler Tolbert made it 1-0 with a sacrifice fly.
That’s when Wallner turned the game in the Saints favor. In the eighth, Anthony Prato and Diego Cartaya led off the inning with walks. That brought up Wallner who took an 0-1 slider and drilled it over the right field wall, his third straight game with a long ball and fifth in six Major League rehab games, putting the Saints up 3-1.
Anthony Misiweicz closed out the game in the ninth for the Saints. After a leadoff walk, he struck out the next two hitters before getting Tolbert to pop out to end the game and earn his sixth save of the season.
The Saints bullpen of Richard Lovelady, Jensen, Brady Feigl, and Misiewicz went 4.0 innings allowing one unearned run on one hit while striking out five.
The same two teams meet in game four of a six-game series at Werner Park on Friday night at 6:35 p.m. The Saints send RHP Andrew Morris (2-1, 3.80) to the mound against Storm Chasers RHP Chandler Champlain (1-2, 9.28). The game can be heard on KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM.