The Las Vegas Aviators blasted two grand slams and piled up 26 runs Wednesday night, overpowering the Round Rock Express 26-13 at Las Vegas Ballpark to reclaim sole possession of first place in the Pacific Coast League West.
Las Vegas improved to 42-28 and moved a half-game ahead of Sacramento in the division race. The Aviators collected 22 hits and scored in seven of eight offensive innings.
Grand slams spark historic night
The Aviators wasted little time taking control.
Darell Hernaiz doubled home Joshua Kuroda-Grauer in the first inning before Joey Meneses added a sacrifice fly for a 2-0 lead.
Las Vegas then erupted for eight runs in the second.
Brett Harris launched a grand slam to center field to score Jared Dickey, Kuroda-Grauer and Hernaiz, extending the lead to 6-0. Three batters later, Tommy White followed with a grand slam of his own to left-center field, driving home Meneses, Cade Marlowe and Brian Serven to make it 10-0.
The back-to-back knockout blows put Round Rock in a hole it never escaped.
Harris finished 4-for-6 with a grand slam, a double, six RBIs and three runs scored. White matched him with two home runs and six RBIs while going 3-for-6.
The lineup keeps rolling
Nearly every spot in the order contributed.
Marlowe went 4-for-6 with three doubles, three RBIs and three runs scored. Hernaiz finished 2-for-6, scored five runs and drove in another. Kuroda-Grauer added three hits, three runs scored and an RBI.
Serven chipped in three RBIs, including a two-run double and a sacrifice fly. Dickey scored three times and reached base four times.
The Aviators went 9-for-19 with runners in scoring position and finished with 22 hits, nine walks and 26 runs.
Morris picks up win No. 6
Kade Morris improved to 6-4 after working five innings. He allowed six runs on seven hits, struck out four and walked two.
The right-hander is now tied for second in the Pacific Coast League with six victories and ranks seventh in the league with 57 strikeouts.
James Gonzalez, Brady Basso and Domingo Robles combined to cover the final four innings. Robles struck out three in a scoreless ninth inning to close out the win.
Meneses keeps producing
Meneses went hitless in one official at-bat, but still made his presence felt. The veteran scored three runs, drove in another with a sacrifice fly, drew two walks and reached base three times before exiting for a defensive substitution.
His first-inning RBI increased his Pacific Coast League-leading total to 71. Meneses also continues to rank among the league’s top hitters with a .338 batting average.
Back on top
The victory moved Las Vegas back into sole possession of first place in the Pacific Coast League West. The Aviators hold a half-game lead over Sacramento and have won two straight games in the series against Round Rock.
The series continues Thursday at Las Vegas Ballpark. Joey Estes (2-6, 5.95 ERA) is scheduled to start for Las Vegas against Round Rock right-hander Jean Davalillo (0-3, 7.59 ERA).
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Dice City Sports editor Mark Hebert covers the Las Vegas Aces, 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.
