LINCOLN, Nebraska – Justin Byrd went 2-for-3 with a homer, Steffon Moore earned his first save, and the Saltdogs held on to beat the Lake Country DockHounds 6-4 at Haymarket Park on Tuesday night.
Moore entered with two on and one out in a two-run game in the 9th inning, and struck out both batters he faced to earn his first save as a Saltdog.
Lincoln (17-10) fell behind 2-0 after Lake Country (12-17) scored a run in each of the first two innings. Justin Byrd’s fifth homer of the year led off the 2nd inning before J.R. DiSarcina’s two-run homer gave Lincoln a 3-2 lead in the inning.
The ‘Dogs added three more in the 3rd. Josh Altmann’s RBI single made it 4-2, Welington Dotel added an RBI groundout and Hunter Clanin extended his on-base streak to 23 with a run-scoring single that made it 6-2.
Aaron Takacs had an RBI double that made it 6-3 in the 6th, and Jake Snider’s RBI single made it 6-4 in the 9th. Moore took over for Carter Hope before strikeouts of T.J. Bennett and Gabriel Noriega ended the game.
Zach Keenan tossed a quality start in his professional debut, allowing three runs on eight hits with no walks and five strikeouts over six innings. David Zoz pitched a 1-2-3 7th before Hope worked around a single in the 8th. Hope allowed three hits before he was removed in the 9th inning.
The ‘Dogs are now 13-6 when hitting a homer and a league-best 12-3 at home. Lincoln still has not lost a game when leading after six innings (13-0).
The series continues on Wednesday night. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m., and pregame coverage begins at 6:35 p.m. 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.