Baker Triples, Serretti Homers in 5-2 Win for Aces

RENO, Nev. – Extra-base hits were crucial for the Reno Aces in their Wednesday night game with the Sugar Land Space Cowboys, as Luken Baker tripled while Danny Serretti crushed a three-run homer to power Reno to a 5-2 victory.

Five innings had come without a run for the Aces (14-15), and in that time they watched the Space Cowboys (16-13) tally two with single runs in the second and fifth frames. However, it took just two batters into the home half of the sixth for Reno to hit the scoreboard, cutting the deficit in half on an RBI triple from Baker following a leadoff walk to LuJames Groover.

That marked the second triple of the early season for Baker, the first time in his professional career that he has hit two triples in the same campaign. Overall, it marked the 16th three-bagger of the season for the Aces, putting them on pace to end the year with 83 which would easily be a franchise record.

A walk to Jacob Amaya succeeded Baker and left two aboard for one of the hottest hitters in the Arizona organization. Making his Triple-A debut tonight, Serretti clobbered his first homer in impressive fashion by turning a 3-1 offering into a 430-foot homer that left the bat at 109.5 mph.

Serretti’s homer marked the second time this season an Ace has homered in his Triple-A debut, following in the footsteps of Christian Cerda who homered in his first at-bat back on April 18 against Las Vegas. For Serretti, it was his third at-bat, with his first Triple-A knock a single in the second.

Pitching was excellent for Reno throughout, beginning with the effort from Yu-Min Lin who tossed the first 4.2 innings and allowed two runs on four hits with three walks and strikeouts.

The bullpen kept up the effort, combining to toss the last 4.1 frames while allowing no hits and striking out seven. Of those seven, four belonged to Drey Jameson as he worked the seventh and eighth while tossing a total of 23 pitches.

Baker and Serretti both had multiple hits in the game, both finishing 2-for-4 with a run scored. The main difference in their nights was the three RBI totaled by Serretti to the two of Baker. Joining them in that effort was Andrew Velazquez, who was 2-for-3 to snap a 0-for-15 streak.

Now having leveled the series at 1-1, the Aces will look to take the edge when both teams line up for game three of the set on Thursday at 6:05 p.m. from Greater Nevada Field.