LINCOLN — The Saltdogs (24-26) split a pair of decisions with the Laredo Lemurs (27-22) in front of 2,772 fans at Haymarket Park Tuesday night, coming back to win a slugfest 13-10, and falling 2-0 in extra innings.
Ian Gac starred in game one, going 2-for-4 with two home runs and a franchise-record tying eight RBI. Gac launched a three-run homer and a grand slam in consecutive at bats in the middle innings of the game that was suspended due to rain Monday night with the Lemurs leading 5-1 in the third inning.
Lincoln overcame a five-run deficit in the win, their biggest come back of the season, and also their highest scoring output of 2014.
Kevin Howard also homered for Lincoln in the series opener, and the Lemurs belted four long balls in the losing effort.
Gac matched Josh Patton's July 30, 2007 RBI total with his monster game. Lincoln's first baseman now has 10 home runs and 31 RBI in 33 games.
In game two (scheduled for seven innings), Zachary Varce (2-5) pitched all eight innings, allowing two runs on six hits while striking out five and walking two to suffer the hard-luck loss.
The 25-year old righty was brilliant for Lincoln, going the middle 5 2/3 innings of the game without allowing a hit, and taking a shutout through regulation.
Laredo plated two runs on four hits in the top of the eighth, and held in the bottom of the eighth to even the series.
Lincoln left one man on base in the night cap: the potential winning run at third base in the bottom of the seventh.
The clubs play the series finale Wednesday night at 7:05 p.m. Radio coverage begins at 6:35 p.m. on KFOR 1240.