The Lincoln Saltdogs launched an offensive explosion Monday night, hammering Wichita 16-6 at Haymarket Park. The Saltdogs batted around two different times in the game, snapping a three-game losing streak.
At first, it looked like the Wingnuts would roll to a blowout win, as Wichita scored four in the top of the second inning. Kevin Hooper’s two-run double made the score 4-0, but Lincoln had all sort of answers in the bottom half of the frame. Lincoln loaded the bases with nobody out against Nuts starter Kevin Cheppenko, bringing up Luis Nieblas, who ripped a two-run double down the left-field line. Doug Hurn (4-3) came on in relief, but Shea McFeely greeted him with another two-run double to tie the game. Skip Adams followed with an RBI double of his own, and came home to score two outs later on Mario Delgado’s double. A hit batter and a single reloaded the bases for Dustin Yount, who cracked a three-run double to complete the nine-run inning.
Wichita scored single runs in the third and fourth inning to cut Lincoln’s lead to 9-6, but R.D. Spiehs (3-2) came on in relief in the fifth inning to shut the door on the Wingnuts. Spiehs tossed 3 1/3 scoreless innings before giving way to Benny Cepeda with two on and two out in the top of the eighth. Cepeda retired the last four Wichita batters to earn his second save.
Lincoln, meanwhile, put the game away with a run in the seventh and sixth more in the eighth. Adams plated the run in the seventh with an infield single, before Lincoln started the rally in the eighth with two out and nobody on base. A hit and a walk set up Yount’s run-scoring single, his fourth RBI of the night. McFeely added his second two-run double of the game, and Adams topped the scoring off with a three-run home run, his fourth blast of the season.
On the night, Yount finished 4-for-5 with four RBI and three runs scored. Adams went 3-for-5 with two runs and five RBI, while McFeely was 3-for-5 with four runs batted in and two more runs scored. Nieblas finished 2-for-4 with his first two RBI of the season for Lincoln.
The Saltdogs and Wingnuts play game two of their three-game series Tuesday night at 7:05 at Haymarket Park. Jarrett Gardner is scheduled to make the start for Lincoln.
The Saltdogs’ current homestand runs through August 6. For team and ticket information, go to www.saltdogs.com.
