The Las Vegas Aviators won their third straight game Wednesday night, defeating the Tacoma Rainiers 4-2 at Cheney Stadium behind a strong outing from Kade Morris.
Morris worked seven innings to earn his fifth win of the season as Las Vegas improved to 28-23. The Aviators have now won seven of their last 10 games and sit three games behind Sacramento in the Pacific Coast League West first-half standings. Tacoma fell to 23-30.
Morris Settles In After Early Run
Tacoma struck first in the second inning when Connor Joe doubled and later scored on Colin Davis’ sacrifice fly. However, Morris quickly regrouped and prevented further damage.
The right-hander allowed one run on five hits over seven innings. He walked one and struck out four while leaning on his defense, which turned three double plays behind him. Morris threw 88 pitches, 64 for strikes, and kept Tacoma from mounting sustained rallies.
After the second inning, the Rainiers did not advance a runner past second base against him.
Aviators Respond with Timely Offense
Las Vegas tied the game in the fourth inning when Joey Meneses reached on a Randy Dobnak throwing error that allowed Cade Marlowe to score.
The Aviators then took the lead in the sixth. Michael Stefanic was hit by a pitch and scored on a Meneses single. Tommy White followed with a groundout that brought home Marlowe to make it 3-1.
Las Vegas collected 10 hits in the win. Drew Swift led the way with three hits, while Stefanic added two. The Aviators went 2-for-10 with runners in scoring position but executed situationally and protected the lead with steady defense.
Insurance Run Holds Up
Las Vegas added an important insurance run in the ninth. Brian Serven singled and moved to third before Brayan Buelvas delivered a two-out RBI double to right field, extending the lead to 4-1.
Tacoma responded in the bottom half when Miles Mastrobuoni hit a solo home run off Luis Morales. Morales settled in and retired three of the next four hitters to earn his first save of the season.
Momentum Building in Tacoma
The victory gives Las Vegas a 3-0 start to the six-game series in Tacoma. With seven wins in their last 10 games, the Aviators continue to gain ground as the first-half race tightens.
Strong starting pitching and improved defensive execution have fueled the recent surge.
Up Next
The series continues Thursday night at Cheney Stadium.
First pitch is scheduled for 10:05 p.m. EDT. Tacoma is expected to start right-hander Jhonathan Mosser (2-2, 4.25 ERA). The Aviators have not yet announced a starter.
Related stories
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.
