Aces Claim First Series Victory of 2025 in Homestand vs the Tacoma Rainiers

RENO, Nev. – The Reno Aces (5-4) have hit the ground running in 2025, securing their first series victory after coming out on top in four out of six matchups against the Tacoma Rainiers (5-4), the Seattle Mariners' Triple-A affiliate, this week at Greater Nevada Field.

The BLC-Nine came out swinging in Tuesday’s series opener, cruising to a dominant 7-1 win over the Rainiers. Brandon Bielak was impressive in his Aces debut, holding Tacoma hitless through 4 2/3 innings while allowing two walks and striking out two in front of the GNF crowd. Tim Tawa continued his scorching start to the season, going 2-for-3 with a triple, a home run, and four RBIs.

Thursday night’s commanding 8-2 win was fueled by standout performances from Tawa and Jordan Lawlar, who each tallied multiple hits and three RBIs. Lawlar got the Aces on the board early with an RBI single in the first, scoring Jorge Barrosa. The Diamondbacks’ No. 1 overall prospect came through again in the eighth, delivering a clutch, bases-loaded single to drive in two more. Tawa was locked in as well, extending the Aces’ lead in the first with a two-run double into the right-center gap off a sinker from Logan Evans — the first of his two doubles on the night.

Tawa wouldn’t return to the Aces lineup after Thursday night’s win and for a good reason. The Stanford product earned a well-deserved call-up to the big leagues after slashing .391/.462/.957 with three home runs and 12 RBIs over the season's first six games. He made his MLB debut against the Washington Nationals on April 5.

Reno returned to the win column on Saturday, handling the Rainiers with a confident 6-1 victory. It was a historic day at Greater Nevada Field as Ildemaro Vargas etched his name into the record books, becoming the Aces’ all-time leader in runs scored with his 273rd career tally. The veteran wasted no time, blasting a two-run homer over the right-centerfield wall in the first inning to get the offense rolling. Cristian Mena held it down on the mound, limiting the Rainiers to one run with five punchouts in six strong innings. The young right-hander gave up an early run on back-to-back base hits by Tacoma to lead off the ball game, but quickly settled in after that, earning his first quality start of the season.

Tied at three games apiece, Sunday’s series finale wasn’t just another day at the ballpark — it was a statement game for Reno. The Aces’ offense exploded for 13 runs, driven by a seven-run third inning that buried Tacoma and sealed Reno’s first series win of the year. Vargas stayed hot, launching his second home run in as many days to kick down the door on the Rainiers. Jordan Lawlar kept the momentum rolling with another multi-hit effort and two RBIs. And Drake Osborn showed out in a big way, racking up four hits — including two doubles — and driving in a pair to cap off a positive homestand.

With the series victory now in the rearview, the Reno Aces head to Salt Lake to face the Bees, the Triple-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels. The series kicks off on Tuesday, April 8th, with the first pitch set for 5:35 P.M. PST at The Ballpark at America First Square.

Single Game tickets are on sale at RenoAces.com, the Greater Nevada Field Ticket Office, or by texting “TIXX” to 21003. Season Memberships are available via RenoAces.com, texting “MEMBER” to 21003, or calling (775) 334-7000.

-ACES-