Bees Salvage Series Split With Easter Sunday Hit Parade

SALT LAKE CITY – All nine Bees batters reached base and last season’s Angels minor league home run leader Brendon Davis hit his first home run of the year in a 12-3 shellacking of the Las Vegas Aviators on Easter Sunday.

The Bees (6-5) hosted the Aviators (6-5) in the final game of a six game series at Smith’s Ballpark on Sunday,  April 17.

Right hander Jonathan Aro (0-1, 5.79 ERA) made his first start of the season on Easter Sunday against the Aviators. Righty Collin Wiles (1-0, 3.00 ERA) made his second start of the year for Las Vegas.

Happy Easter from the Bees! #startinglineup @ZionsBank pic.twitter.com/N5br6lcXJr

— Salt Lake Bees (@SaltLakeBees) April 17, 2022

Wearing their traditional Sunday yellow, Brendon Davis led off the second inning with a double. After Matt Thaiss walked, Monte Harrison hit into a fielder’s choice at third. A brief moment of indecision by Aviator third baseman Viamel Machin allowed all runners to reach safely, loading the bases for Dillon Thomas. Thomas bounced to first but the throw home was late, allowing Davis to score the first run of the game.

With the bases still loaded, Chad Wallach was retired on an in-field fly that second baseman Nate Mondou dropped, allowing Thaiss to score from third with Harrison advancing from second to third. Magneuris Sierra then picked his team-leading 11th RBI when he hit into a fielders choice, allowing Harrison to score. Luis Rengifo kept the lineup moving with a single to center that advanced Sierra to third.

Stefanic caps off a 5 run rally in the second inning🐝 pic.twitter.com/AIKkRxQOuT

— Salt Lake Bees (@SaltLakeBees) April 17, 2022

The nightmare inning continued for the Aviators as Michael Stefanic picked up an RBI single to right. A throwing error allowed Rengifo to score and Stefanic to advance to second. Following the second mound visit of the inning, recently optioned infielder Jose Rojas lined out to left to end the inning. All told, Salt Lake amassed three hits and benefited from three Aviator errors in taking a 5-0 second-inning lead.

In the fourth inning, Las Vegas got on the board when, following a Dermis Garcia double, Nate Mondou singled to left to score Garcia, making the score 5-1.

Continuing his hot start to the season, Wallach led off the bottom half of the fourth with a solo home run to right. The homer was Wallach’s fifth extra base hit this year and gave him the cycle for the series with Las Vegas. The hit parade continued when Rengifo doubled with one out and scored on a single to right from Rojas. A Davis line drive double to left center scored Rojas from first before Thaiss grounded out to end the inning with the Bees in front 8-1.

Home Run Wallach! pic.twitter.com/58LFeW8y0t

— Salt Lake Bees (@SaltLakeBees) April 17, 2022

Wallach stayed hot in the fifth when, with runners at the corners following a Harrison single and the fourth Las Vegas error allowed Dillon Thomas to reach, he lined a single to left for his second RBI of the day. Regnifo also picked up an RBI in the inning, giving the Bees a 10-1 lead.

Las Vegas was able to chase Bees reliever Wander Suero from the game with three sixth inning singles that scored a run, making the score 10-2. Andrew Wantz entered for Suero and struck out Marty Bechina to end the inning.

Davis puts two up on the board on his first home run of the season🤩 pic.twitter.com/3avKq8B58t

— Salt Lake Bees (@SaltLakeBees) April 17, 2022

Brendon Davis increased the lead to 12-2 when he hit a two-run jack to right, his first of the year.

Wander Suero got his first win of the season for Salt Lake with Collin Wiles taking the loss for Las Vegas. The win gives the Bees a split in the series after losing three of the first four games.

Following a day off on Monday, the Bees (7-5) will travel to Reno where they will play six games against the Reno Aces. Game one of the series is scheduled for 12:05 p.m. (MST) on Tuesday, April 19.

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