Lincoln Drops Sereis With Sioux city - Opens Playoffs Tuesday Night

LINCOLN - It was a record setting night for Bryan Warner as the Lincoln Saltdogs finished the 2005 regular season with a 5-4 loss to the Sioux City Explorers. Jonathan Wiebe earned the win for the X's retiring all three batters he faced in the seventh inning. Sean Kramer earned his 20th save of the season, allowing one home run in the final frame. Wes O'Brien took the loss for Lincoln allowing four runs in 2/3 of an inning of work.

The Dogs got the first run of the game in the first frame after Cory Harris legged out a single to the first baseman Dan Meier. After advancing to second on a wild pitch, Bryan Warner picked up his 102nd RBI of the year with a single to center field.

After tying the game in the sixth inning, the Explorers were able to put the game out of reach with a four run eighth inning. After an Ian Church walk, Meier came to the plate and hit a ball deep to left field that hit on the top of the wall and bounced over for a home run. Marcel Longmire and Ryan Gripp both reached base following the home run and scored on a two RBI single by Chris Grossman.

A pair of home runs by Bryan Warner and Jay Yaconetti brought the game within one run, but Lincoln couldn't close the door with a win.

Bryan Warner's home run in the eighth inning gave him 104 RBI's on the season to tie for the all-time Northern League record for RBI's in a season with Mario Delgado who achieved the same total in 2004. Warner also set a new NL record for the most hits in a season. His new total is 143, five over the old record of 138 set back in 2004.

The Saltdogs will hit the road for their first round playoff match-up with the Fargo-Moorhead Redhawks on Tuesday at Fargo. The third and fourth games of the five game series will played at Haymarket Park on Friday and Saturday.

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