The Aviators didn’t just stop a four-game losing streak Friday night — they buried it under 19 runs and 22 hits.
Las Vegas answered an early two-run deficit with a nine-run second inning and never looked back, overpowering Salt Lake 19–9 at Las Vegas Ballpark. Eight different Aviators drove in runs, while Michael Stefanic and Joey Meneses each collected four RBI in a statement win.
The victory moves Las Vegas to 12–11 and trims the Bees’ series edge to 3–2 with one game remaining.
Second-Inning Avalanche
Salt Lake struck first on a pair of first-inning home runs from Donovan Walton and Denzer Guzman. However, the momentum flipped quickly in the bottom of the second.
Meneses ignited the rally with a two-run homer to center, tying the game at 2–2. From there, the inning snowballed.
Drew Swift delivered an RBI single to give Las Vegas the lead. Euribiel Angeles followed with a sacrifice bunt that turned chaotic, as throwing errors by pitcher Caden Dana and catcher Sebastián Rivero allowed two runs to score. Brett Harris and Meneses added RBI singles, and by the time the dust settled, the Aviators had sent 14 batters to the plate and built a 9–2 advantage.
In total, Las Vegas scored nine runs on seven hits in the inning.
Power and Pressure
The offense didn’t cool off.
Junior Perez opened the fifth with a solo homer, and Henry Bolte followed later in the inning with a 408-foot blast to center. Meanwhile, Stefanic and Meneses kept piling on with run-scoring singles in the sixth and seventh.
Stefanic finished 4-for-5 with four RBI and a stolen base. Meneses went 4-for-5 with a home run and four RBI of his own. Swift drove in three, while Harris, Perez, Bolte, Angeles and Marlowe each added at least one RBI.
As a team, the Aviators went 10-for-20 with runners in scoring position.
Bullpen Settles In
Luis Morales allowed three runs over 4.2 innings before Geoff Hartlieb entered and steadied the game. Hartlieb earned the win with 1.1 scoreless innings, stranding two inherited runners.
Eduarniel Núñez, Michael Kelly and Wander Suero covered the final frames as Las Vegas maintained a comfortable cushion despite late Salt Lake runs.
Up Next
The Aviators close the six-game series against the Bees on Saturday night at Las Vegas Ballpark. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. PDT.
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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.
