The Las Vegas Aviators won game three of a six-game series against the Tacoma Rainiers 10-3. The Aviators took flight in the eighth inning, scoring five runs.
Jack Perkins started on the mound for the Aviators. Michael Mariot took the mound for the Rainiers. Lead-off batter Zach Gelof reached first on a throwing error, and Logan Davidson was walked. Colby Thomas hit a sacrifice fly to score Gelof, and the Aviators took a 1-0 lead.
Thomas had an impressive catch in right field in the top of the second inning. He sprinted to the wall, arms stretched out to catch a 99.4mph line drive. Drew Avans had a diving catch in right field in the top of the third inning. Perkins got some ground action in the third as well. He fielded a hard-hit ball up the middle and turned for a double play.
Gelof recorded his first hit of the game with a sharp line drive to left field. Davidson had almost an identical hit to score Gelof. The Aviators took a 2-0 lead after the third inning.
Jake Walkinshaw replaced Perkins on the mound. Perkins pitched 4.0 innings, struck out four batters and allowed three hits and no runs on 51 pitches. Denzel Clarke doubled, and Avans singled on no-outs in the bottom of the fifth. For the second time, the Aviators gained a run off of a sacrifice fly. Darell Hernaiz hit an RBI single with two outs. Las Vegas gained a 4-0 lead.
William Fleming replaced Mariot on the mound for the Rainiers. Willie MacIver had no problem putting the bat to the ball, hitting a 386ft homer to right field to put the Aviators up 5-0 after the sixth inning.
Las Vegas made another switch on the mound, with Ryan Cusick starting the seventh inning. The Rainiers loaded the bases and scored two runs on an RBI single to center field. Tacoma made it on the scoreboard, 5-2.
Ben Bowden took over the mound in the top of the eighth for Las Vegas. Austin Shenton hit a home run to make the score 5-3. The Rainiers put Austin Kitchen on the mound. MacIver walked and successfully stole second. Clarke hit an RBI double to extend the Aviators’ lead 6-3. After Clarke stole third, Avans hit an RBI single. The Aviators took a 7-3 lead. The Rainiers brought in Bryan Shaw to finish pitching the inning. Shaw walked two batters to load the bases. He walked another, and the Aviators scored 8-3. Thomas hit a line-drive single RBI to score two runners, 10-3.
The top of the ninth had Tanner Dodson on the mound for Las Vegas. He caused three groundouts to seal the Aviator’s 10-3 win. Las Vegas is now 3-0 in the series. Walkinshaw earned the win on the mound. He pitched 2.0 innings, allowed two hits and no runs and struck out one batter. Walkinshaw is now 3-1 this season. Clarke earned the Hardest Working Player of the Game. He had two hits, two runs, one RBI and one stolen base.
