LINCOLN, NE – The Saltdogs (36-59) offense continued to find answers Thursday night as they dropped a rain-shortened finale to Cleburne (58-38) 2-1.
RHP Foster Pace threw 5.0 innings giving up nine hits, two earned runs, no walks, and striking out four.
INF Matt Pita drove in the the ‘Dogs lone run of the ballgame with an RBI single in the third inning, his 21st RBI of the season.
DH Spencer Henson made his return to the lineup for the first time in over two weeks and he doubled down the left field line in his comeback appearance.
Cleburne opened up the scoring in the top of the third inning with an RBI single. Lincoln would combat that run right away as Pita drove in INF Dakota Conners to knot it up at one. Conners finished the game with two hits.
In the fourth, the Railroaders struck back with an RBI double from Hill Alexander, a part of a three-hit performance from him, to take the lead for good.
The Saltdogs had traffic in the seventh inning with two runners on with only one out but a 1-5-3 double play put an end to the frame and Mother Nature took it from there.
Cleburne clinches the American Association East Division with the win and Lincoln finishes the season with a 5-5 record against the Railroaders in 2024.
Lincoln wraps up the season with a four-game set in Winnipeg, Manitoba against the Goldeyes starting Friday night at 7:00.
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.