(Photos courtesy of Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks)

Fargo, North Dakota-   The Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks completed a doubleheader sweep over the Lincoln Saltdogs, 8-7 and 3-2, Wednesday night at Newman Outdoor Field.  With the game one victory, the RedHawks claimed the season series over Lincoln.  The Saltdogs will battle to salvage the final game of the midweek three-game set, Thursday night.

Game One:

Fargo-Moorhead scored eight runs off 12 hits and committed one error.  Lincoln plated seven runs with 10 hits and no errors, in a game that lasted two hours and twenty minutes.

Lincoln started the scoring in the top of the first.  Danny Bautista, Jr. began the game with a single, off Fargo-Moorhead starter Kyle Crigger, then stole second base.  Three batters later, Neyfy Castillo singled, scoring Bautista, Jr., to make it a 1-0, Lincoln lead.

The RedHawks responded in the bottom of the first.  With one out, Dillon Thomas drew a walk against Lincoln starter Jhon Vargas, then took second on a wild pitch.  Two batters later, Brendon Dadson walked.  Then, Juan Fernandez singled, scoring Thomas, to tie the game at 1-1.  The next batter, Michael Hallquist, delivered a base hit, bringing it Dadson, to make it a 2-1 RedHawks lead.

The Saltdogs tied the score in the top of the second.  Drew DeVine led off with a single.  Then, Rolando Espinosa delivered a walk.  Two batters later, Kyle Battle hit a ball to right field, which Dillon Thomas battled with the sun and could not make the catch.  Battle’s double scored DeVine, to tie the game at 2-2.

Fargo-Moorhead plated two more runs in the bottom of the second.  With two outs, Aiden Byrne singled, Lamar Sparks doubled, and Dillon Thomas singled, scoring Byrne and Sparks to make it 4-2.

Lincoln put together its best inning of the night in the top of the fifth.  Kyle Battle led off with a walk, Danny Bautista, Jr. singled and Brody Fahr laid down a bunt single to load the bases.  Then, Mikey Kane hit a single, scoring Battle and Bautista, Jr., to tie the game at 4-4.  Max Hewitt singled, scoring Fahr, to make it 5-4, Lincoln.  Drew DeVine reached on an infield single, plus a throwing error, scoring Kane and Hewitt, to make it a 7-4 Lincoln lead.

The RedHawks cut into the lead in the bottom of the fifth.  Dillon Thomas led off with a single.  Jose Sermo singled.  Then, Lincoln went to the bullpen and brought in Peyton Cariaco.  Brendon Dadson drew a walk.  Then, Juan Fernandez singled, scoring Thomas, to make it 7-5.

Fargo-Moorhead cut Lincoln’s lead in half in the bottom of the sixth.  Facing Lincoln reliever Sean Mullen, Nicholas Northcut and Aiden Byrne drew back-to-back walks.  Then, Lamar Sparks hit an RBI single, scoring Northcut, to make the score, 7-6.  Lincoln went to left-handed reliever David Shaw, who retired the next three batters, leaving the Saltdogs in front by one run.

With the score the same in the bottom of the seventh, Juan Fernandez led off with a walk.  Michael Hallquist laid down a sacrifice bunt, advancing Fernadez to second, with one out.  Hunter Clanin pinch-ran for Fernandez at second base.  Then, Alec Olund hit a double, scoring Clanin, to tie the game at 7-7.  The next batter, Nicholas Northcut, hit a double up against the center field wall, scoring Olund, and Fargo-Moorhead completed the walk-off victory, 8-7.

RedHawks starter Kyle Crigger pitched 5.0 innings, giving up seven runs, five earned, off nine hits, struck out five and walked two.  Colten Davis worked 1.0 inning and struck out two.  Tyler Jeans (1-0) earned the win, pitching 1.0 inning, yielding one hit with two strikeouts and one walk.

Lincoln starter Jhon Vargas pitched 4.0 innings, giving up five runs off eight hits, struck out four and walked two.  Peyton Cariaco pitched 1.0 inning, yielding one hit and walked one.  Sean Mullen faced three batters, gave up one run off one hit and walked two.  David Shaw (0-1) took the loss in 1.1 innings, with two runs off two hits, struck out one and walked one.

Offensively for Fargo-Moorhead, Lamar Sparks was 2-for-4 with an RBI.  Dillon Thomas went 2-for-3 and drove in two runs.  Juan Fernandez was 3-for-3 with two runs batted in.  Michael Hallquist was 1-for-3 with an RBI.  Alec Olund went 1-for-4 and drove in one run.  Nicholas Northcut was 1-for-3 with an RBI, which was the walk-off hit.

For the Saltdogs, Danny Bautista, Jr. was 2-for-4.  Mikey Kane was 1-for-4 with two RBIs.  Neyfy Castillo went 1-for-4 and drove in one run, his 50th of the season.  Max Hewitt was 1-for-3 with an RBI.  Drew DeVine was 3-for-4.  Kyle Battle was 1-for-2 and drove in one run.

 

Game Two:

Fargo-Moorhead (43-33) scored three runs off five hits with one error.  Lincoln (30-46) plated two runs with five hits and no errors, in a game that lasted two hours and sixteen minutes, in front of a doubleheader crowd of 3,117 fans.

The RedHawks struck first, in the bottom of the second.  Peter Brookshaw drew a two-out walk off Lincoln starter Franny Cobos.  Then, Hunter Clanin singled.  The next batter, Parker Stroh delivered a single, which scored Brookshaw, to make it a 1-0, Fargo-Moorhead lead.

Lincoln responded in the top of the third.  With one out, Brody Fahr drew a walk against RedHawks starter Kolby Kiser.  Then, Mikey Kane doubled to the left field corner, scoring Fahr all the way from first, to tie the game at 1-1.

Fargo-Moorhead recaptured the lead in the bottom of the fifth.  With one out, Parker Stroh was hit by a pitch.  Then, Aiden Byrne and Alec Olund hit back-to-back singles, the latter of which scored Stroh, to make it a 2-1 RedHawks lead.

The Saltdogs tied the game in the top of the sixth.  Facing Fargo-Moorhead reliever Parker Harm, Drew DeVine reached on a two-out base on balls, then stole second.  The next batter, Jack Cone, singled, scoring DeVine, to tie the game at 2-2.

In the bottom of the sixth, the RedHawks took the lead, in dramatic fashion.  Facing Lincoln reliever Connor Langrell with one out, Michael Hallquist hit a solo home run to left, to make it a 3-2 RedHawks lead.

Garrett Alexander came on to pitch for Fargo-Moorhead in the top of the seventh.  Brody Fahr drew a leadoff walk.  However, Alexander induced a ground ball off the bat of Mikey Kane for a 4-6-3 double play.  Then, Alexander got Neyfy Castillo to flyout to left field for the final out of the game.

Fargo-Moorhead starter Kolby Kiser pitched 5.0 innings, giving up one run off four hits, struck out six and walked two.   Parker Harm (2-2) claimed the win, pitching 1.0 inning, yielding one run off one hit, struck out two and walked two.  Garrett Alexander earned his tenth save of the season, pitching 1.0 inning and walked one.

Lincoln starter Franny Cobos pitched 5.0 innings, giving up two runs off four hits, struck out four and walked two.  Connor Langrell (0-5) took the loss, working 1.0 inning, giving up one run off one hit and walked one.

Offensively for the RedHawks, Alec Olund was 1-for-3 with an RBI.  Michael Hallquist was 1-for-2 with a solo home run.  Parker Stroh was 1-for-2 and drove in one run.

For the Saltdogs, Mikey Kane was 3-for-4 with an RBI.  Jack Cone went 1-for-2 and drove in one run. Brody Fahr extended his consecutive games on-base streak to 41.

The final game of the series is Thursday night.  RHP Johnny Blake (3-5, 5.99 ERA) will pitch for Lincoln.  RHP Jake Dykhoff (7-4, 1.83 ERA) will be on the mound for Fargo-Moorhead.  First pitch will be 7:02 p.m.  The game will be broadcast on KFOR 101.5 FM/1240 AM and audio will stream online at:  www.kfornow.com.  Live video of the game will be available at:  www.aabaseball.tv.

The Saltdogs penultimate homestand of the season will begin Tuesday, August 12th, when Lincoln hosts the Sioux Falls Canaries, in the first of a six-game series.  Game one is a ”Triple Play Tuesday”.  Fans may donate three (3) school supplies to benefit LPS Community Learning Centers and receive a FREE general admission Ticket – sponsored by Celerion.  It will also be “Taco Tuesday”, with great specials throughout Haymarket Park.  For tickets, merchandise, and promotional information, go to:  www.saltdogs.com.