Nehrir Matches League Record with Six Hits as Cleburne Sweeps
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (June 10, 2021) – Zach Nehrir set a new franchise record and matched an American Association record with six hits as the Cleburne Railroaders completed the sweep of the Sioux Falls Canaries with an 8-3 win on Thursday night at Sioux Falls Stadium.
Nehrir singled in the first and third, doubled in the fourth, and then notched three more singles in the sixth, eighth, and ninth innings. He surpassed the five-hit performances from Mitch Glasser, Audie Afenir, Angel Reyes and Osvaldo Martinez earlier this season. Nehrir ended the night with a .397 batting average, highest in the American Association.
Cleburne (11-10) raced out to a 4-0, scoring in three consecutive innings from the second through the fourth innings. Colton Pogue kicked things off with a run-scoring single in the second, then Ramon Hernandez beat out a fielder’s choice grounder to plate another run in the second. An RBI double from Nehrir and a passed ball in the fourth brought home two more, stretching the lead to 4-0.
Sioux Falls (11-10) got on the board in the fifth on a bases-loaded walk to Angelo Altavilla, but Austin Fairchild (1-2) pitched around further trouble to keep the advantage at 4-1. Fairchild picked up his first win of the year with six strong innings, allowing three runs on six hits.
A four-run sixth inning created separation for the Railroaders. Alay Lago ripped an RBI single, then Nehrir and Hernandez followed with run-scoring singles of their own. Grant Buck capped the scoring with an RBI groundout that pushed the Cleburne edge to 8-1.
The Canaries pulled two runs back in the sixth on a two-run single from Shamoy Christopher, but the Cleburne bullpen slammed the door from there. Alex Fishberg, Kyle Chavez and Bryan Saucedo each worked a scoreless inning in relief to secure the win, with Saucedo picking up back-to-back strikeouts to end the game.
With the victory, the Railroaders move into a tie for second place in the American Association South Division.
The Railroaders now head to Fargo to open a three-game series with the RedHawks. Newcomer Michael Krauza (0-0, 0.00) makes his first start for Cleburne, while Fargo-Moorhead counters with fellow right-hander Gage Hinsz (1-2, 7.71). First pitch of Friday’s series opener is scheduled for 7:02 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.