FARGO, ND – The Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks rocked the Lincoln Saltdogs for 11 runs on 17 hits and clinched the series win with an 11-6 win on Saturday night.
Saltdogs (4-5) starter Shairon Martis picked up the loss after allowing five runs over three innings of work. He left with an injury after throwing warmup pitches at the start of the fourth inning. Will Solomon earned the win for the RedHawks (5-3).
The RedHawks got in front first with a solo home run by Devan Ahart but the lead was short-lived. Dashenko Ricardo delivered in the top of the second inning with a two-RBI double to make it 2-1 in favor of Lincoln.
The Saltdogs tacked on another run in the third inning. This time Chase Simpson doubled in a run to give Lincoln a two-run lead.
The Saltdogs’ momentum stopped after that. Fargo exploded for four runs on five hits and an error in the bottom of the third inning to grab a 5-3 lead. The RedHawks racked up five consecutive singles in the side.
After the Martis injury, the Saltdogs summoned reliever Leland Tilley on short notice. The sidearmer promptly gave up a two-run homer to Devan Ahart and a solo shot to Keury De La Cruz and the Fargo lead built to 8-3.
Two innings later, Maikol Gonzalez kicked off a streak of four straight base hits completed by a De La Cruz two-RBI hit and the advantage swelled to 11-3.
The Saltdogs tallied three runs in the seventh to make the game more competitive. Chad Hinshaw tripled in a run, Angel Reyes got an RBI sac fly and Chase Simpson launched a solo home run to make it 11-6.
Gonzalez and Ahart, the 9 and 1 hitters for Fargo, combined to go 7-9 for seven runs and three RBIs. Ahart hit two home runs while De La Cruz added another.
The Saltdogs try to salvage the series finale on Sunday. Former RedHawk Tyler Herron takes the hill for Lincoln with first pitch at 1:00 PM and coverage beginning at 12:30 PM on ESPN 101.5 FM 1480 AM and saltdogs.com.
For more information on the Saltdogs, follow the team on Facebook and Twitter/Instagram @saltdogsball. For ticket information visit https://saltdogs.com/tickets/ or call (402) 474-2255.