ACES STING BACK IN FINAL GAME, SPLIT SERIES WITH BEES

RENO, Nev. - The Reno Aces salvaged a series split with a 7-3 win over the Salt Lake Bees at Greater Nevada Field Thursday night. The Aces divided the night between five arms on the mound - Aaron Laffey, Jared Miller, Erik Davis, Louis Coleman, and Jimmie Sherfy - combining for a six-hitter with just three runs allowed. Rudy Flores highlighted the night offensively finishing 3-for-3 with two RBI and a home run. Sócrates Brito also collected two RBI with a double while Christian Walker finished with two singles.

After an uneventful first three frames on each side, the Aces lit an offensive fire in the fourth, started on back-to-back singles by Ildemaro Vargas and Walker and a walk to Zach Borenstein to load the bases with no out. Kristopher Negrón and Kevin Medrano would both reach on back-to-back fielder's choice ground balls while scoring the first two Aces runs of the game to take a 2-0 lead.
In the fifth, the Aces again followed suit as Flores and Ronnie Freeman knocked back-to-back singles to set Brito up for a no out, two RBI double to right-center field. After a Vargas groundout to send Brito to third base followed by a strikeout by Walker, a wild pitch with Borenstein in the batter's box sent Brito into score to give Reno the 5-0 advantage.
For the third consecutive inning, in the sixth, the Aces added on after Willians Astudillo initiated a two-out rally on his double down the left field line. Rudy Flores continued the momentum in his at bat when he sent a full count pitch deep to right field and over the grass berm to tally his second Aces home run.
The Bees broke into the game in the seventh after six scoreless offensive halves with two runs. Jefry Marte led off the inning with a single and scored one batter later after César Puello sent his 23rd double of the season down the left field line. After two walks to load the bases, reliever Erik Davis pitched to a pop out for the first out but walked the next batter to bring in Salt Lake's second run.
The Bees would send a third and final run across in the ninth after Nolan Fontana lasered his third triple of the season to left center just out of the reach of a hustling Negrón to bring around Dustin Ackley who doubled to left.
Miller tallied his first Aces win after two hitless, scoreless frames with three strikeouts. Laffey, who started the game, tossed four innings of five-hit, five-run ball with two walks and a strikeout. Davis, Coleman, and Sherfy combined for three innings of four-hit, three-run ball with a strikeout each.
With the victory, Reno improves to 57-41 on the season, still holding on to their first place lead over the Fresno Grizzlies. The Aces hit the road for an eight-game road trip, starting with four games against Colorado Spring before going to Oklahoma City for a final four. First pitch for tomorrow's game one is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. PST. Follow the club all season long on Twitter (@Aces) or like the team on Facebook.