The Lincoln Saltdogs got back to the .500 mark Monday night, hammering Sioux Falls 12-4.  The win allowed Lincoln to avoid a four-game sweep at the hands of the Canaries.

Lincoln kicked the offense into high gear in the third inning, scoring seven runs with two men out.  Mario Delgado opened the scoring in the frame with a three-run home run, his second of the season.  Ben Tinius added a key two-run single, while Jonny Kaplan and Anthony Contreras chipped in RBI singles to give the Saltdogs an 8-2 lead.  Sioux Falls tried to chip away at the deficit, scoring single runs in the third and fourth innings, but the Dogs pitching staff held the Canaries at bay the rest of the night.

The Saltdogs scored in the first inning for the third straight game, on an RBI double by Dustin Yount.  The Canaries took their only lead of the night in the second inning on a two-run homer by Paul Smyth, before Lincoln exploded for seven in the third.  Luis Perez added a solo homer in the fourth for the Dogs, and Ross McCoy closed out the scoring with a three-run homer in the seventh.

Lincoln starter Brian Campbell (2-2) didn’t have his best stuff, but battled through six innings to earn the win.  He escaped jams in three different innings by inducing double plays.  On offense, Delgado finished the night 2-for-5 with the homer and three RBI.  Kaplan, Yount, Perez and Shawn McGill also had two hits apiece for Lincoln.

The Saltdogs open up a three-game series at home against St. Paul Tuesday night at 7:05.  Ryan Trytten is scheduled to make the start for Lincoln at Haymarket Park.

The Saltdogs’ next homestand begins on June 3.  For team and ticket information, go to www.saltdogs.com.