Oklahoma City struck early Friday night, and Las Vegas never fully recovered in a 7-3 loss at Las Vegas Ballpark.
The Aviators fell to 5-2 after surrendering seven runs across the first two innings. Zack Gelof’s two-run homer in the eighth trimmed the deficit, but the early surge by the Comets held up.
Early deficit sets the tone
The Comets applied pressure immediately in the first. Hyeseong Kim walked and Ryan Fitzgerald singled before James Tibbs III drew a free pass to load the bases. Ryan Ward lined a two-run single to right, and Jack Suwinski followed with another two-run hit. A fielding error in right field extended the inning and helped Oklahoma City build a 4-0 lead.
Las Vegas answered with one run in the bottom half. Michael Stefanic and Drew Swift opened with walks, and Colby Thomas singled to load the bases. Bolte brought home Stefanic on a force play, but the Aviators left two aboard.
Oklahoma City added three more in the second. Ward produced a run on a fielder’s choice, then Zach Ehrhard ripped a two-run triple to center to stretch the margin to 7-1.
Bullpen keeps it close
Joey Estes took the loss after allowing seven runs, six earned, over two innings. From there, the Las Vegas bullpen settled in. Nick Hernandez worked two scoreless innings, Eduarniel Núñez added two more with three strikeouts, and Joel Kuhnel and Brady Basso finished the final three frames without allowing a run.
Ryder Ryan earned the win for Oklahoma City, limiting Las Vegas to one run on four hits over five innings while striking out five.
Late push falls short
The Aviators showed life in the eighth. Swift drew a walk to start the inning, and Gelof followed with a two-run homer to left, his fourth of the season, cutting the deficit to 7-3. Brian Serven later doubled, but Las Vegas could not add on.
Gelof finished 2-for-4 with a double, a homer and two RBI. Serven and Cade Marlowe each doubled as well. The Aviators went 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position and left seven on base.
Up next
The Aviators continue the series against Oklahoma City on Saturday night at Las Vegas Ballpark. First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m. PT.
Right-hander Mitch Barnett, 1-0 with a 1.59 ERA, is scheduled to start for Las Vegas against Oklahoma City right-hander River Ryan.
Related stories
Aviators smash 4 homers, bury Comets 11-5 with six-run eighth
Welcome to Dice City Sports — where we provide premium, exclusive, up-to-date news and analysis surrounding the Las Vegas sports scene. Follow along on social media, and check back for new articles daily!
Dice City Sports editor Mark Hebert covers the Vegas Golden Knights, Las Vegas Raiders, Athletics, and UNLV baseball and softball. He has 24 years of journalism experience, is also a senior reporter at Exhibit City News, and previously covered the Dallas Stars and Texas Rangers. Follow him on X or connect on LinkedIn.
