The Las Vegas Aviators rallied late and then exploded in extra innings Saturday afternoon, defeating Reno 9-6 at Greater Nevada Field to secure the series with one game remaining. Las Vegas improved to 11-7 and moved into first place in the PCL West with the comeback victory.
Reno struck first on a third-inning solo home run by Christian Cerda, but the Aviators answered in the fifth. Joey Meneses crushed a two-out solo shot to left-center, tying the game at 1-1 and resetting the momentum.
An inning later, Las Vegas built its first lead. Cade Marlowe and Henry Bolte opened the sixth with singles, and after a strikeout, Colby Thomas lined a ground-ball single to right to score Marlowe. Bryan Lavastida followed with a two-run double to center, pushing the advantage to 4-1.
Reno Counters, Bolte Manufactures
However, Reno responded immediately in the bottom half. Tommy Troy delivered a two-run double, and a wild pitch allowed the tying run to score. By the end of the sixth, the game was even at 4-4.
In the seventh, LuJames Groover’s RBI single gave the Aces a 5-4 edge. Still, the Aviators found a way back in the eighth without the benefit of a hit.
Bolte worked a walk, advanced on a sacrifice bunt, and then stole third. When Cerda’s throw sailed into left field, Bolte raced home to tie the game at 5-5 and force extra innings.
Nick Anderson kept Reno quiet down the stretch, striking out four across two scoreless innings to give Las Vegas a chance to break through.
Thomas Delivers, Stefanic Finishes
In the 10th, the Aviators capitalized quickly. With Marlowe starting at second as the automatic runner, Bolte singled to put runners on the corners and then stole second. After a walk to Brett Harris loaded the bases, Thomas punched a two-run single to right, giving Las Vegas a 7-5 lead.
Although Lavastida lined out, Michael Stefanic followed with a two-run double to right, extending the cushion to 9-5 and effectively sealing the game.
Reno pushed across one run in the bottom of the 10th, but Wander Suero closed it out to secure the 9-6 final.
Thomas finished 3-for-5 with three RBI, while Lavastida and Stefanic each drove in two. Meneses collected three hits, including his fifth-inning homer, and Bolte reached base three times while stealing two bags.
Luis Morales allowed four runs over five innings. Anderson earned the win with two dominant frames, and Suero recorded the final three outs.
Up Next
The Aviators conclude their six-game series in Reno on Sunday afternoon at Greater Nevada Field. First pitch is scheduled for 1:05 p.m. PT.
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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.
