Hager’s walk-off dinger lifts Aces past Aviators, 8-7

RENO, Nev. (Reno Aces) - A walk-off two-run homer from Jake Hager in the ninth inning fueled the Reno Aces’ (71-57) 8-7 triumph over the Las Vegas Aviators (63-65) Saturday night in front of 6,420 fans at Greater Nevada Field.

With the win, the Aces sport a 16-7 record against the Aviators in the Silver State Diamond Challenge, presented by Nevada Donor Network.

Trailing 7-6 in the bottom of the ninth with two outs, Camden Duzenack kept Reno’s hopes alive with a single and Hager followed up with a tape measure walk-off two-run jack to seal Reno’s 8-7 win.

Jordan Luplow led Reno’s offense with a trio of homers beginning with a solo shot in the first, a two-run homer in the second and a solo homer to left in the fourth frame.

The win was awarded to J.B. Wendelken (W, 5-0) after the right-hander tossed a scoreless ninth, allowed no hits, no walks and fanned two batters.

In his Triple-A debut, Deyni Olivero turned in a quality start, allowing two earned runs on six hits, three walks and four strikeouts but did not factor in the decision.

Aces Notables:

Jordan Luplow: 3-for-4, 3 HR (4), 4 RBI, 3 R, BB.
Jancarlos Cintron: 3-for-5, 3 2B, R, extended hitting streak to five games.
Jake Hager: 1-for-5, HR, 2 RBI, R.
Dominic Fletcher: 2-for-5, RBI, R.

Reno continues its six-game homestand against Las Vegas through Sunday, September 4. After the homestand, the Aces will travel to Utah to take on the Salt Lake Bees, Triple-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels, starting Tuesday, September 6. Tickets for the upcoming homestand and the entire 2022 season are available at RenoAces.com or Text 21003.