LINCOLN, NE – The Saltdogs (34-57) scored three times in the bottom of the eighth to snatch game one from the hands of Sioux City (45-46) 8-6.
RHP Foster Pace goes 7.0 innings despite taking a 101 mph line drive off of his pitching hand in the third inning. He gave up seven hits, and five runs, four of them earned, one walk, and struck out three.
INF Dalton Reeves reached four times including an RBI double and a single, he has back-to-back multi-hit games for the first time in his professional career.
INF Drew Devine homered for the sixth time this season with a two-run homer in the bottom of the second. He reached three times and scored twice on the night.
The Explorers opened the score with one in the top of the second, but the ‘Dogs responded with three in the bottom half including Reeves’ RBI double and Devine’s two-run homer.
Sioux City was quick to respond scoring four times in the third on two RBI singles, one coming in on an error, and one scoring on a throwing error.
Lincoln returned with one run in the fourth with a sacrifice fly from C Max Hewitt to make it a one-run game. The ‘Dogs would use the sacrifice again with INF Dakota Conners in the sixth as he scored Devine.
To the top of the eighth where Lincoln would see three ejections go against them and they’d give up a run which surrendered the lead at the time.
The Saltdogs came back in the bottom half and scored three times on two RBI singles from Conners and INF Alex Baeza and an RBI fielder’s choice from Hewitt.
LHP David Zoz shut the door in the ninth striking out two in the frame, three total in 1.2 innings of work, and Lincoln took the series opener 8-6.
The Saltdogs go for the series win at 6:05 on Saturday night 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.