R H E LOB
SIOUX CITY 8 12 0 8
SALTDOGS 2 6 1 5
Jon Gaston went deep and five Lincoln pitchers posted scoreless outings, but the Saltdogs fell to the Sioux City Explorers 8-2 in a 10-inning exhibition game at Haymarket Park Tuesday night.
Sioux City tallied four runs on five hits in the top of the first inning of starter Moises Melendez, highlighted by a Brock Kjelgaard two-run single.
Knuckleballer Zach Staniewicz may have been the man of the night for Lincoln. The right-hander’s specialty pitched baffled Explorer bats to the tune of two shutout innings, with just a single allowed.
Matt Forgatch led off the fourth inning with a double to right center for the first Lincoln hit, and later scored on a Brian Joynt ground out to make it 4-1.
The Explorers plated three in the sixth, two earned, off LHP Kevin McGovern to extend their lead to 7-1.
Gaston launched a solo homer into the Sioux City bullpen beyond the right field wall to begin the seventh, trimming the deficit to 7-2.
Noah Perio singled in Tommy Mendonca in the top of the 10th, notching the game’s final run for the X’s.
Sioux City pitchers struck out 14 batters in the 10-inning contest.
Lincoln will play its second pre-season game Wednesday night at 7:05 p.m. against the T-Bones at CommunityAmerica Ballpark in Kansas City, Kan. Follow the action @saltdogsball on twitter.
SALTDOGS PITCHING LINES:
Moises Melendez: 2 IP, 5 H, 4 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, HB, WP, Loss
Zach Staniewicz: 2 IP, H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
Jared Gaynor: IP, 0 H, 0 R, O BB, K, HB
Kevin McGovern: IP, 2 H, 3 R, 2 ER, BB, K
Lars Liguori: IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, K
Zach Arneson: IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, K
Conor Spink: IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, K
Kaohi Downing: IP, 2 H, ER, 2 BB, K, WP
SALTDOGS HITTERS:
Matt Forgatch, LF: 2-4, 2B, R
Jon Gaston, CF: 1-4, HR, 2 K
Brian Joynt, RF: 1-4, RBI
Curt Smith, 1B: 0-3, BB, 2 K
Mitch Canham, DH: 0-4
Mike Gilmartin, SS: 0-2
Ryan Lashley, SS: 1-2
Trevor Martin, 2B: 0-4, 2 K
Jeremy Hamilton, DH: 0-3, 2 K
Eddie Young, 3B: 0-2, BB
Tyler Smith, C: 0-1
Ryan Wiggins, C: 1-2, 2B