Aviators strand 11 as Saints take finale

Las Vegas fell short again Sunday afternoon, dropping the series finale to St. Paul 4-2 at Las Vegas Ballpark. As a result, the Aviators finished the homestand 1-5 against the Saints and slipped to 19-18 on the season.

Although the pitching staff delivered a solid collective effort, timely hits proved elusive.

Early answer, quick setback

The Aviators struck first in the opening inning. Michael Stefanic singled and stole second before Brian Serven lined a two-out RBI single to center, giving Las Vegas a 1-0 lead.

However, St. Paul responded immediately. In the second inning, Kaelen Culpepper delivered a two-out, three-run single after a hit batter extended the frame, flipping the score to 3-1. From there, the Saints controlled the pace.

Serven leads the charge

Serven turned in one of the club’s strongest offensive performances, finishing 3-for-4 with an RBI and consistently barreling the ball. He also singled in the sixth and eighth innings as Las Vegas tried to chip away.

In the sixth, the Aviators closed the gap. Joey Meneses and Serven reached base before Bryan Lavastida drove in a run with a line-drive single to center, trimming the deficit to 3-2.

Yet despite loading traffic multiple times, Las Vegas stranded 11 runners and went 3-for-13 with runners in scoring position.

Pitching keeps it close

Joey Estes (1-4) gave the Aviators a chance. The right-hander worked six innings and allowed three runs on six hits while striking out six. Outside of the three-run second, he settled in and limited further damage.

Geoff Hartlieb and Luis Morales followed with scoreless innings, and Nick Anderson worked the ninth. Still, David Bañuelos added an insurance run with a solo homer in the ninth to make it 4-2.

Altogether, Las Vegas pitchers allowed four runs and kept the game within reach. Nevertheless, the offense could not produce the equalizer.