SIOUX CITY, Iowa – Justin Byrd went 2-for-5 with a run scored, but Lincoln’s rally felt short in a 4-3 loss to the Sioux City Explorers at Mercy Field on Saturday night.
Lincoln (15-13) fell behind 3-0 after Sebastian Zawada hit a two-run homer in the 2nd and Nate Samson hit a solo shot in the 3rd, but the ‘Dogs rallied with Skyler Weber’s RBI single in the 4th and Ryan Long’s game-tying two-run hit in the 5th.
With the game tied in the 6th, Sioux City (19-11) regained the lead with Chase Harris’s sacrifice fly.
Keenan Bartlett went 5.1 innings and allowed four runs on 10 hits – snapping a 16.1-inning scoreless stretch as a starter – in his first loss of the year.
Greg Minier continued his excellent June, tossing 1.2 scoreless innings in relief. Josh Norwood pitched a 1-2-3 8th inning in his 2021 Saltdogs debut – returning after a solid rookie year in 2019.
Forrestt Allday went 1-for-4 and extended his hitting streak to four games, while Edgar Corcino singled to extend his to five. David Vidal walked twice, and Ryan Long had two hits.
The finale of the quick road trip is set for 4:05 p.m. on Sunday. Pregame coverage will begin at 3:35 on ESPN Lincoln 101.5 FM/1480 AM.