Bolte homers, but Aviators drop fourth straight as Bees win 5-3

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Bolte homers, but Aviators drop fourth straight as Bees win 5-3

Originally posted on Dice City Sports | By Mark Hebert | Last updated Apr 24, 2026 9:42 AM ET

The Las Vegas Aviators dropped their fourth straight game Thursday night, falling 5-3 to the Salt Lake Bees at Las Vegas Ballpark. It marked their third consecutive loss in the six-game series as Salt Lake improved to 11-13 while Las Vegas slipped to 11-11.

Las Vegas struck first in the opening inning. Henry Bolte singled, stole second, and eventually scored on Joey Meneses’ ground-ball double play to give the Aviators a 1-0 lead.

However, Salt Lake answered in the third when Omar Martinez launched a solo homer to right-center, tying the game at 1-1 and shifting momentum.

Seventh-Inning Swing

The turning point came in the seventh.

After Jose Siri singled and stole second, a wild pitch moved him to third. Nelson Rada followed with a groundout that brought Siri home, and Donovan Walton added an RBI single later in the inning. By the end of the frame, Salt Lake had built a 3-1 advantage.

An inning later, the Bees added another run on a sacrifice fly, stretching the lead to 4-1 and putting added pressure on the Aviators’ offense.

The last couple of finals just don't look right….Let's get'em tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/z7JVfA67A6

— Las Vegas Aviators (@AviatorsLV) April 24, 2026

Bolte Sparks Hope

Las Vegas mounted a late rally in the eighth.

With two outs, Bolte crushed a solo home run to right-center, trimming the deficit to 4-2. Bryan Lavastida followed with a single, and Cade Marlowe kept the inning alive with another base hit. Meneses then lined an RBI single to left, cutting the margin to 4-3 and bringing the tying run into scoring position.

Still, the comeback stalled when Michael Stefanic struck out to end the inning.

Salt Lake responded immediately in the ninth. Nelson Rada doubled and later scored on Denzer Guzman’s single, extending the lead to 5-3 and providing insurance.

Numbers Tell the Story

Bolte finished 2-for-5 with a homer, a stolen base, and an outfield assist. Marlowe collected two hits, while Meneses drove in two of the club’s three runs. The Aviators totaled eight hits but went just 1-for-4 with runners in scoring position and grounded into two double plays.

Joey Estes delivered five strong innings, allowing one run while striking out five. Brooks Kriske was charged with the loss after surrendering two runs in relief.

Salt Lake’s bullpen combination of Huascar Ynoa and José Fermin closed the door over the final three innings.

Up Next

The Aviators continue their six-game series against the Salt Lake Bees with the final three games at Las Vegas Ballpark. Friday and Saturday are scheduled for 7:05 p.m. PDT, followed by a 12:05 p.m. PDT first pitch on Sunday.

This article first appeared on Dice City Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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