Lincoln Rallies Past Cleburne to Take Series Finale

CLEBURNE, Texas (July 1, 2021) – The Lincoln Saltdogs scored five unanswered runs to rally from a first inning deficit, knocking off the Cleburne Railroaders 5-3 on Thursday night at The Depot at Cleburne Station.

Cleburne (20-19) banged out three runs on four hits in the bottom of the first to take a 3-0 lead. Ramon Hernandez, Chase Simpson and Zach Nehrir provided run-scoring knocks in the inning against Lincoln starter Kyle Kinman (3-1).

Kinman settled down after the rocky first, firing five scoreless innings to pick up the victory. He struck out seven and walked five, allowing six hits on the night.

Lincoln (18-19) began the comeback in the top of the third, scratching across a run on a two-out RBI single from Ryan Long to slice the lead to 3-1. Home runs from Justin Byrd and Josh Altmann in the top of the fifth gave the Saltdogs their first lead of the night, moving Lincoln in front, 4-3.

The Saltdogs added an insurance run in the top of the eighth on an RBI double from Curt Smith for the final margin.

The Railroaders had a pair of opportunities in the final innings to answer back, putting two runners aboard in the seventh and ninth innings, but the Saltdogs bullpen slammed the door in each case. James Pugliese picked up his ninth save with a scoreless bottom of the ninth.

Jheyson Manzueta (1-1) pitched well in defeat for Cleburne, striking out eight for a third straight start while allowing seven hits and four runs. Brendan Bell worked the eighth before Alex Fishberg flipped a 1-2-3 top of the ninth. 

The Railroaders will continue their homestand with a three-game series against the Sioux Falls Canaries beginning on Friday night. First pitch of the series opener is scheduled for 7:06 PM. 

For information on partnerships, season tickets, group outings, and party packages, call the Railroaders main office at (817) 945-8705, or visit the Railroaders official website at www.railroaderbaseball.com.