LINCOLN, Nebraska – Justin Byrd hit a solo homer and walked, but the ‘Dogs dropped the series with a 5-1 loss to the Lake Country DockHounds in a rain-shortened, five-inning game at Haymarket Park on Thursday night.
Byrd’s homer cut Lake Country’s lead in half in the second inning and cleared the ballpark out towards the right-field parking lot.
Lincoln (17-12) fell behind 2-0 in the 2nd inning. Tristen Carranza hit an RBI triple to open the scoring before Aaron Takacs drove in another with an RBI groundout.
Lake Country (14-17) added to the lead in the 4th. Takacs hit an RBI single to extend his on-base streak to a league-best 30 games, while Carranza scored on an error from Justin Byrd. Later in the inning, Jake Snider made it 5-1 with an RBI double.
Hunter Clanin singled in the 3rd inning and now has a team-best 25-game on-base streak. The ‘Dogs had just three baserunners against Evan Kruczynski, who went five innings and earned the win.
Elijah Johnson was Lincoln’s only pitcher, and he allowed five runs on four hits with four walks and six strikeouts over five innings.
The ‘Dogs finish the nine-game homestand 5-4 and are still 12-5 at home in 2022.
Lincoln will now hit the road to begin at six-game road trip, starting with three games in Winnipeg. First pitch from Shaw Park is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on Friday, and pregame coverage will begin after the conclusion of Hail Varsity Radio on ESPN Lincoln 101.5 FM/1480 AM.
The Saltdogs are playing their 21st season in Lincoln! Visit saltdogs.com and follow us @saltdogsball on all social media for information regarding tickets and promotions all season long.