Aviators vs Bees opens with 12-1 Las Vegas win and seven-run fourth

Bees answer, then Vegas unloads

Salt Lake briefly made it interesting in the third when third baseman Donovan Walton launched a solo homer to right-center to cut it to 2-1.

That was the last moment of tension.

Las Vegas buried Salt Lake with a seven-run fourth, sending 11 hitters to the plate and chasing starter Victor Mederos after 3 innings. Serven started the inning’s scoring with an RBI single, Zack Gelof followed with an RBI hit of his own and Brett Harris forced in another run when he was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.

Joey Meneses brought home another on a fielder’s choice, then Colby Thomas delivered the knockout blow with a three-run homer to center, stretching the advantage to 9-1.

Las Vegas kept adding on in the fifth when Drew Swift tripled and Serven doubled him home, and Harris later drove in another run with a line-drive single to left to make it 11-1.

Meneses capped the scoring in the seventh with a sacrifice fly that brought home Serven for a 12-1 lead.

Numbers that mattered

Serven led the Aviators by going 3-for-3 with a double, 2 RBI, a walk and 4 runs scored. Harris finished 2-for-3 with 2 RBI, while Thomas drove in 3 with his three-run homer. Swift went 2-for-5 with a triple and 2 runs scored, and Stefanic added a double and scored twice while also stealing third.

On the mound, Kade Morris earned the win after allowing one run on four hits in 5.2 innings while striking out five. Brady Basso worked 1.1 scoreless innings, Tyler Ferguson tossed a clean eighth and Wander Suero closed it out in the ninth.

Salt Lake’s lone run came on Walton’s solo shot. The Bees went 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position.

Up next

The Aviators continue the series against Salt Lake on Saturday at 7:05 p.m. PDT at Las Vegas Ballpark. The club will also hold a PCL championship replica ring giveaway.