[rink23]

Record: 27-20, 2nd (Tied/w. Des Moines), 3 GB Cedar Rapids
St. Louis pounded itself to an 8-1 lead over the first 5.5 innings, and then held on for an 8-5 win over Twin Cities at Target Field.
After scoring single runs in each of the first two innings -- Jose Segura hit a solo homer in the first and Daniel Becerra had an RBI single in the second -- the River Walkers seemed to bust the game open when Izaac Pacheco hit a three-run homer off Snow Cats starting pitcher Danny Patino in the fourth.
The gap grew even larger in the sixth.
Jose Segura drove in a pair with a triple off Ruben Lopez.
Segura later scored on an error by Twin Cities first baseman Mike Sartain.
By this time, it was 8-1.
The Cats used the long ball to make it interesting.
Sartain hit a solo homer off Walkers starter Jim Martin in the sixth.
He went deep again in the eighth off Luke Dunkin, this time worth two runs, as the Cats drew to within 8-5.
Juan Yanez connected on an RBI double off Cory Tiller in the same inning.
But that was it.
Martin worked six innings, allowing two runs on five hits.
Luke Dunkin was roughed up for three runs on four hits in his 1.1 innings.
Tiller got one out to get the game to the ninth.
Nick Ruffalo set the Cats down in order in the ninth for his third save.