ACES EXTEND DIVISION LEAD WITH THIRD CONSECUTIVE WIN

LAS VEGAS, Nev. - The Aces extended their possession of first place in the Pacific Northern division by two games Wednesday night after an 11-2 victory on a 16-hit night led by Zach Borenstein and Ildemaro Vargas, who both finished with four-hit performances. Borenstein was a double from the cycle and collected six RBI with two home runs. Vargas matched with two home runs, including a leadoff solo shot in the first at bat of the game, while collecting two RBI. Aces starter Taylor Clarke was impressive in his second career Triple-A start, notching his first Aces win after seven quality innings of six-hit, two-run ball with seven strikeouts.

The Aces got into the scoring column in the first inning with four runs, marking the second time they reached the feat in the series. Vargas, after being absent for a few weeks while on the disabled list, remained red hot and led off Wednesday night's game with a home run, the organization's first leadoff home run in exactly two years, to give the Aces a 1-0 lead. Kevin Medrano and Rey Fuentes followed with consecutive hits before Jack Reinheimer flied out. With one out, Borenstein crushed a three-run home run to right-center field, extending the advantage to 4-0.
In the third, Reno extended their lead with another run manufactured on two, two-out extra base hits - a triple by Borenstein and RBI double by Rudy Flores - to put the Aces up 5-0.
Reno offensive power kept going in the fifth and sixth innings, as they were able to plate one run in each. In the fifth, with Borenstein and Evan Marzilli on the corners with two outs, after each singled, Ronnie Freeman knocked a hard, one-hop groundball to 51s shortstop Gavin Cecchini which he bobbled, allowing the run to score. In the sixth, after Vargas led off the inning with his third hit of the game and Medrano was hit by a pitch, Fuentes poked a single to shallow right field bring around Vargas to make it a 7-0 lead.
In the bottom half of the sixth, after five scoreless, two-hit frames, the 51s offense found a rhythm started by Cecchini's leadoff double to left-center field. Dominic Smith plated Las Vegas' first run of the night on a single up the middle and was brought around in the next at bat on Kevin Plawecki's triple to cut the lead to five runs.
The Aces blew the game open in the eighth inning when they matched the first frame with four runs, coming again on a solo home run by Vargas and a three-run home run by Borenstein to take a powering and final 11-2 lead.
Relievers Kaleb Fleck and Jared Miller both tossed scoreless innings in the eighth and ninth respectively while Fleck allowed a lone hit; each struck out the lead off batter faced.
The win brings the Aces to a record of 68-49 on the season with 25 regular season games to go. Reno continues the four-game series with Las Vegas 51s in the final game tomorrow scheduled for 7:05 p.m. at Cashman Field. Following the series in Las Vegas, Reno will head to Tacoma for four games before returning to Greater Nevada Field on August 15. Tickets are on sale now at renoaces.com. Follow the club all season long on Twitter (@Aces) or like the team on Facebook.