Lincoln used four home runs on Sunday night for a 12-9 win over the Cats at Haymarket Park in the finale of the three-game series.
Leading 1-0 in the second inning, second baseman Shea McFeely hit a solo homer off Cats' starter Ryan Riddle for a 2-0 advantage. In the third, Matt Maloney smacked a three-run shot to left, his fourth home run of the season to make it a 5-0 Lincoln lead.
The power surge continued in the fourth inning as Phil Hawke hit his third home run of the season, a two-run blast for a 7-0 lead. The fourth home run of the night for Lincoln came in the fifth inning as the No. 9 batter, catcher Lee Rubin hit a three-run homer to make it 10-0 Saltdogs.
Lincoln would add single runs in the sixth and seventh innings. The only run in the first eight innings for the Cats came in the sixth inning on an opposite field home run by Pat O'Sullivan.
The Cats mounted a rally in the ninth inning, scoring eight runs to get themselves back into the game. Aljay Davis hit his first career home run, a three-run shot to left, Charles Carter contributed a sacrifice fly, Isa Garcia singled, John Allen had a two-run double and Michael Bell delivered a run-scoring triple to make it a 12-9 Lincoln lead.
With the tying run in the on deck circle, Lincoln closer Carlos Guevara came on to get a ground ball to short to end the game as he notched his fourth save of the season.
Jarrett Gardner (2-0) got the win as he went eight innings, allowed five runs on 11 hits, struck out seven and did not walk a batter. Ryan Riddle (0-1) suffered the loss for the Cats as he permitted 10 runs, nine earned on nine hits including four home runs in 4 1/3 innings of work.
The Cats travel to Sioux Falls for a three-game series with the defending champion Canaries. The opener of the series is a 3:05 p.m. Memorial Day start with Lee Gwaltney on the hill for Fort Worth.
