A Walk Off Home Opener Win for SLP Orioles

 The weather for the St. Louis Park Orioles baseball team's home opener was chilly Thursday but it heated up when Stanley Regguinti's sacrifice fly scored Kristofer Hokenson in the bottom of the seventh inning to lead them to a 6-5 win over the Bloomington Kennedy Eagles at Derrick Keller Field at Dakota Park.  

The Eagles struck first with two runs in the top of the second Gage Schmidt's groundout to second baseman Ben Farley that scored Sam Nicholson.  Own Savisik's single drove home starting pitcher Brett Conway for Kennedy's second run.  The Orioles got a leadoff double in the bottom of the inning from Stefano Giovanelli but he remained on second base as Conway retired the next three batters.

But the good news for St. Louis Park was that they would vault into the lead with a three run fourth inning.  Giovanelli singled and Regguinti reached base on an error by Eagle shortstop Nick Manning.  Both of them would cross the plate on Henry Odens' single.  Odens would score on Hank Bendickson's RBI single and the Orioles took a 3-2 lead.  

The lead would be short lived when Kennedy got back in front with three runs in the top of the fifth inning.  With two outs and the bases loaded, Will Vogel walked to score Manning and Gage Schmidt's two RBI single scored Cole Hauk and Conway to put the Eagles ahead 5-3.  The Orioles would even the game at five as Giovanelli reached base on an error by Manning that scored Ethan Schmidt and Hokanson.  None of the runs came on a base hit.  

It would also be the case in the bottom of the seventh that started with Hokanson drawing a walk followed by Drew Boyum and Giovanelli reaching base on intentional walks.  On a one and two pitch, Regguinti sent a fly ball deep toward the warning track that would be caught by Hauk in center field.  Hokanson would tag up to score the winning Oriole run. 

Relief pitcher Brady Walsh would get credit for the win.  He entered the sixth inning, replacing Schmitz, who struck out five batters in four innings.  

St. Louis Park improved their record to 1-1 and heads to Bloomington on Friday, April 16 to face the Jefferson Jaguars at 4:30 at Dred Scott Field.  Kennedy fell to 0-3 and will play a Saturday matinee against the Minneapolis Washburn Millers on April 17 at noon at Pearl Park.