LINCOLN — Behind an explosive woodwork, strong pitching, and a near clean-defensive game, the Saltdogs (5-10) toppled the Wichita Wingnuts (10-4) 9-5 in front of 2,843 fans at Haymarket Park.
After allowing two runs with three walks in the first inning, Luis Chirinos (2-1) settled down and allowed just one base runner over his final four innings to earn the win.
Lincoln opened its scoring in the second on a Jeremy Hamilton two-out RBI single. The ‘Dogs added four more in the third thanks to a two-run homer by C.J. Ziegler and a two-run single from Hamilton to take a 5-2 lead.
By the end of the sixth, Lincoln led 9-2 after a two-run double by Hamilton in the fifth and a two-run blast by Mitch Canham in the sixth.
Wichita scored a run in the seventh and two in the ninth before Zach Arneson came in from the bullpen to record the final two outs and book his second save.
The Saltdogs scored a season-high nine runs and snapped a franchise record-tying eight-game losing streak.
Hamilton finished the night 3-for-4 with a double and five RBI, a season-high for a Saltdogs player in 2015.