The Lincoln Saltdogs picked up their first series sweep of the season on Sunday, knocking off the Pensacola Pelicans 6-2 at Haymarket Park.  The win moves the Saltdogs to 5-5 on the season, the first time they’ve reached the .500 mark.

Lincoln starter R.D. Spiehs (1-0) and Pensacola hurler Cory Walters (0-1) matched zeros for the first three innings, before a solo home run by the Pelicans’ Brandon Sing in the top of the fourth broke the scoreless tie.  Lincoln didn’t take long to respond, however, scoring three runs in the fifth inning to take the lead for good.  Shawn McGill’s RBI double highlighted the three-run frame.

Pensacola would add another solo homer by Cesar Aranguren in the top of the seventh, but the Dogs tacked on three more in the bottom half of the inning to break the game open.  Ben Tinius provided the key blow in the frame with a two-run single, and Dustin Yount added an RBI infield hit, increasing his league-leading RBI total to 15.

For the game, Spiehs tossed 6 1/3 innings, allowing two runs on five hits, walking none and striking out five.  McGill, Jonny Kaplan, Luis Perez and Corey Harrington all had two hits apiece, with Kaplan extending his hitting streak to nine games and Yount pushing his hitting streak to ten games.  Eduardo Rios, however, went 0-for-3, ending his hitting streak at nine games.

The Saltdogs will enjoy an off-day on Monday, then welcome Sioux Falls to Haymarket Park for a three-game series that begins Tuesday night at 7:05.  Jarrett Gardner is scheduled to make his third start of the season for Lincoln, while Ryan Ford is expected to make the start for the Canaries..

The Saltdogs’ first homestand of the season runs now through May 25th, with games against Sioux Falls and Wichita.   For team and ticket information, go to www.saltdogs.com.