St. Paul broke away early with eight runs in the first two innings, then rode the strong pitching of David Festa to beat the Louisville Bats 9-5 Friday night in an International League game at Louisville Slugger Field.

Festa tied a franchise record with 10 strikeouts, the third time this season he has reached that mark. He limited the Bats to two runs over his six innings.

The Saints struck out 16 on the night, the second time they’ve fanned that many this season. Both have come against the Bats.

Seven Saints recorded two hits each, including Edouard Julien, Brooks Lee, Matt Wallner and Jair Camargo, who led St. Paul with three runs batted in.

The teams meet again tonight in the fifth game of their six-game series.

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