Railroaders Drop Wild Series Finale to Saltdogs

LINCOLN, Neb. (May 27, 2021) – The Cleburne Railroaders banged out 15 hits, including three home runs, but fell a run short to the Lincoln Saltdogs by the score of 11-10 at Haymarket Park.

It was a wild affair that lasted four hours and two minutes, the longest game of the season for the Railroaders. The game began on a promising note for Cleburne (4-5), who raced out to a 4-1 lead thanks in large part to a two-run home run from Ramon Hernandez, his third long ball of the season. But Railroaders starter Maverik Buffo (1-1) ran into command issues in the bottom of the third, handing out three walks that led to four Lincoln runs as the Saltdogs (5-3) grabbed a 5-4 lead.

Edgar Corcino’s solo home run in the bottom of the fifth extended the lead to 6-4, but Noah Vaughan answered with a solo shot of his own in the sixth that cut the deficit back to a single run.

A two-run double from Curt Smith and a run-scoring single from Skyler Weber pushed the Lincoln lead back to 9-5 in the sixth, but the Railroaders again had an answer in the seventh. A Saltdogs throwing error brought home one run, then Hunter Clanin cranked a two-run homer to centerfield that brought the score to 9-8.

The Saltdogs scored their final two runs in the seventh on a two-run homer from Smith, but Cleburne fought back with an RBI single from Chase Simpson in the eighth that pulled Cleburne within 11-9.

In the top of the ninth, Clanin doubled with one out and then Grant Buck worked a walk. John Nester chopped a ground ball up the middle that resulted in an out at second base, but the resulting throw back to first was errant, allowing Clanin to score. Lincoln closer James Pugliese struck out Vaughan to end the game and record his fourth save.

John Richy (1-1) earned the win, allowing three earned runs over five innings. Cleburne used seven pitchers on the night, a new season high.

The Railroaders continue the road swing with a three-game series against the Kansas City Monarchs, beginning on Friday night at 7:00. Left-hander Tristan Roberts (0-1, 4.50) gets the start for Cleburne.

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.