Reno Doubles Do Damage in 9-4 Win Over Comets

RENO, Nev. – Multi-run explosions in two of the first three innings for the Reno Aces set them on the path to a 9-4 win over the Oklahoma City Comets in game five of their series on Saturday.

Reno’s opening set of at-bats saw the Aces (3-2/35-45) score four times, all of which came with two outs. A walk to Jacob Amaya set up Tyler Locklear for a two-RBI double, but Reno kept the bases loaded after a single from A.J. Vukovich and a walk to Danny Serretti.

Driving home two with a single was Manuel Pena, while a ground-rule double from Christian Cerda pushed across the final tally.

The Comets (2-3/43-36) managed a single run in each the second and third frames, using RBI singles from Griffin Lockwood-Powell and former Ace Alek Thomas to do the damage.

Ready to respond in the home half of the frame were the Aces, putting two aboard in Serretti and Pena with a single and walk, respectively. There with his second double of the contest was Cerda, as he ripped a ball just inside the left-field foul line to bring home a pair.

The last of the three runs in the third came home with two outs in the frame when Amaya softly singled into shallow right field, allowing Cerda to race around the bases and score from second.

Oklahoma City clawed back a run when James Tibbs III started the fifth inning with a solo home run, his PCL-leading 21st of the season, but the Aces poured on two more runs courtesy a two-RBI double from Locklear in the home half of the eighth. That allowed the Aces to withstand one final run from the Comets on a Thomas double.

There was just one more run scored in the contest, a leadoff homer from James Tibbs III to lead off the fifth frame. That blast represented his 21st of the season, which leads all the PCL.

Though he lasted just 3.2 innings, starter Kohl Drake punched out four and allowed only two runs on six hits with a pair of walks in his no decision. Combining on the final 5.2 innings, the Reno bullpen allowed just two combined runs while the victory went to Isaiah Campbell after allowing one run on two hits in 1.1 innings, his fourth victory of the campaign.

Six of the nine Aces hitters in the starting lineup recorded hits in the contest, none more crucial than the two doubles in four at-bats by Cerda who also finished with three RBI and a run scored. Also notching a pair of doubles was Locklear, who had an identical stat line to Cerda (apart from one more at-bat) with two doubles, three runs driven in, and one run scored.

Of the three Aces that did not record a hit, one was Robinson and he still found his way aboard plenty. Robinson worked four free passes in the contest, a mark that is tied for the most in a game this season by an Ace along with Luken Baker. Additionally, it was just the 11th time in franchise history that an Ace has walked four or more times.

Reno can earn a series win in the set finale on Sunday, the first Sunday night game at home this season for the Aces. First pitch between the two teams gets tossed at 6:05 p.m. PT.