The PL Jays welcomed MBA Class A powerhouse St. Louis Park to Veterans Field in Prior Lake for their 30th season home opener this past Sunday, and came up short by a 3-2 decision.
Jays starting pitcher Chris Kelly blanked Park through five innings stranding six runners. Park broke through posting two runs in the sixth on a two-out double that scored runners that had reached on hit by pitch and fielders choice. The Jays answered on a two-out, two-RBI double to the gap by outfielder Adam Cress to score Jonesy Buescher and Sam Kortes who walked and reached on an error respectively to knot the score at 2-2 after six innings.
The Jays could only muster Kelly reaching in the seventh on an error, Kortes knocking a single in the eighth, and catcher Brandt Broderick with a two-out single in the ninth while Park plated the margin in the seventh for their third run. Following a one-out error in the seventh, the visitors followed with a two-out single by relief pitcher John Gallice scoring Mike Arlt making the score 3-2.
The Jays Pat Galvin tossed two innings of scoreless relief for the Jays allowing one hit and one walk. Outfield Bryan Sanchez tallied his first hit as a Jay on a 1-4 effort, and newcomer Matt Nelson worked at 1B going 0-1 at the plate. Chris Kelly, who started and was tagged with a loss, knocked a two-out double in the fifth at the plate and scattered five hits and three walks in seven innings, hitting two Park batsman and allowing three runs, two of which were earned.
PLJ: SP/LP-C.Kelly (7), Galvin (2) & Broderick
2B-Kelly, Cress RBI-Cress (2)