LINCOLN, NE – The Saltdogs (36-59) offense couldn’t find answers for Railroaders’ (57-38) pitching as they dropped game two 1-0.
LHP Abdallah Aris threw 7.0 innings in his final outing of 2024 giving up four hits, one earned run, five walks, and struck out six. It was his third outing that lasted seven innings this season.
OF Kyle Battle tripled in the bottom of the eighth inning to put the tying run on.
OF Zan Zurbrugg reached base three times on a pair of singles, stealing his 24th base of the season. He remained perfect stealing bases and led the team in stolen bags.
Pitching dominated both sides in game two of the series as Cleburne and Lincoln struggled to find the bats.
In the fourth, the game scored its first run as a solo homer from Cleburne second baseman Carter Aldrete put the Railroaders in front. His 19th of the season would wind up being the difference.
The Saltdogs had their chances late offensively getting the tying run on third base with less than two outs in the seventh and eighth innings. Zurbrugg had a one-out single in the seventh and reached third by way of a stolen base and a passed ball, he would be stranded there.
In the eighth Battle led off the inning with a triple off the top of the wall in left-center and again the ‘Dogs would strand the runner 90 feet away.
Lincoln goes for the mid-week and season series win against the Railroaders on Thursday night at 7:05 from Haymarket Park in Lincoln, Nebraska.
Catch every Saltdogs game home and away on KFOR FM 101.5/1240 AM or stream live for free on aabaseball.tv, new for the 2024 season.