One night after scoring 19 runs, the Aviators proved they could win a different way.
Las Vegas needed only four runs Saturday night, riding a dominant pitching performance and a late offensive burst to shut out Salt Lake 4–0 before a record crowd of 12,390 at Las Vegas Ballpark. The attendance marked the largest crowd in ballpark history and the franchise’s 107th all-time sellout.
With the win, the Aviators improved to 13–11 and evened the six-game series at three games apiece.
Two Hits, Twelve Punchouts
The story began on the mound.
Mason Barnett worked five scoreless innings, allowing just one hit while striking out seven. He navigated traffic in the third but escaped with back-to-back strikeouts to preserve the tie.
Braden Nett followed with 3.2 dominant innings to earn his first win of the season. The right-hander surrendered just one hit and struck out five, repeatedly overpowering Salt Lake hitters in key spots. Nick Anderson recorded the final out in the ninth to complete the two-hit shutout.
In total, Aviators pitchers combined for 12 strikeouts and allowed only three walks.
Lavastida Swipes the Spark
For six innings, both offenses were locked in a stalemate.
The breakthrough came in the seventh. Bryan Lavastida drew a walk, stole second, moved to third on a groundout and then stunned the Bees by stealing home to give Las Vegas a 1–0 lead.
Junior Perez followed with a triple in the inning, but the Aviators could not add on until the eighth.
Harris Delivers the Hammer
Las Vegas broke it open in the eighth against Kirby Yates.
Euribiel Angeles singled and Henry Bolte reached safely before Brett Harris launched a three-run homer to left-center field. The 417-foot blast, his second of the season, pushed the lead to 4–0 and sent the Villains Night crowd into a frenzy.
Harris finished 2-for-4 with three RBI, accounting for all of Las Vegas’ runs batted in.
A Different Formula
After Friday’s 19-run explosion, the Aviators showed their versatility. They managed just six hits and went 1-for-3 with runners in scoring position, yet executed situational baseball and leaned on pitching to secure the win.
Salt Lake, meanwhile, went 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position and stranded five.
Up Next
The Aviators close the six-game set against the Bees on Sunday afternoon at Las Vegas Ballpark. First pitch is scheduled for 12:05 p.m. PDT.
Left-hander Gage Jump (0–1, 5.65 ERA) is expected to start for Las Vegas.
Related stories
Aviators erase skid with 19-9 rout as nine-run second flips game
Bolte homers, but Aviators drop fourth straight as Bees win 5-3
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.
