RENO, Nev. – Scoring once in each the first and second inning put the Reno Aces on the path to a Wednesday victory, eventually securing a 5-0 shutout win over the Sacramento River Cats in game three of their series.
The Aces (24-29/56-72) got started quickly by scoring once in each the first and second innings, breaking the game’s scoreless tie thanks to a Manuel Pena two-out single up the middle that scored LuJames Groover, who had walked earlier in the frame.
That lead doubled in the second when Pavin Smith doubled, also with two away, and traded places with Christian Cerda, who logged his own two-bagger with one out.
Reno continued to add insurance with another double, this time from Gavin Conticello as he ripped a ball to left field that turned a leadoff single from Pena into a tally.
The only multi-run frame of the game was in the home half of the seventh as the Aces plated two on a Tyler Locklear single following a sacrifice bunt from Demetrio Crisantes, while Kristian Robinson’s sacrifice fly was the final mark on the scoreboard in what finished as a 5-0 victory.
Tonight was the second shutout win of the season for Reno over the River Cats (31-23/73-53), as they also blanked the River Cats by a 4-0 final in their first meeting of the season back on May 5. Overall, it was the 13th time in franchise history that the Aces have shut out the River Cats.
Pitching was stellar throughout as Avery Short (1-0) was transferred from Double-A Amarillo and tossed five run-free frames, allowing just three hits and walking one without a strikeout for his first Triple-A career victory.
Pena led Reno in hits with three in four trips, his seventh three-hit effort at Triple-A this season, while scoring once while also driving one in. Both Anderdson Rojas and Conticello ended their nights 2-for-4, the latter also doubling and driving one in.
Tonight’s win is the first in the series for the Aces, and they will look to even this series at 2-2 when they line up for game four of the set on Friday at 6:35 p.m. PT from Greater Nevada Field.