Salt Lake’s Early Homers, Late Heroics Secure First Win of the Year

El Paso, Texas – The Salt Lake Bees jumped out to an early lead and held on late to secure a 7-6 victory over the El Paso Chihuahuas in a nail-biting contest on Saturday night.

Salt Lake Bees – 7 runs, 10 hits, 0 errors
El Paso Chihuahuas – 6 runs, 9 hits, 1 error

WP: Victor González (1-0)
LP: Jared Kollar (0-1)
SV: Hans Crouse (1)

Game Summary

The Bees wasted no time getting on the scoreboard in the top of the first. Gustavo Campero and Matthew Lugo set the table with back-to-back singles, and Niko Kavadas delivered a towering three-run homer to center field on an 0-2 pitch to give Salt Lake an immediate 3-0 lead. J.D. Davis followed with a solo shot to right-center, extending the lead to 4-0 before El Paso could get an out.

The Chihuahuas managed to scrape a run across in their half of the first, but Salt Lake kept the pressure on. In the second inning, Lugo singled and later scored on a Davis RBI single, making it 5-1 on the veteran's second hit in two innings of play.

After a quiet stretch, El Paso mounted a comeback in the seventh. With two outs and two runners aboard, Trenton Brooks laced a two-run single to cut the Bees’ lead to 5-4.

Salt Lake responded in the eighth, as Sebastián Rivero lined a two-run double to left field, plating Scott Kingery and Yolmer Sánchez to provide crucial insurance runs and push the lead to 7-4.

El Paso refused to go quietly, answering with two runs in the bottom of the eighth to close the gap to 7-6. With the tying run in scoring position, Michael Petersen recorded the final out of the inning, preserving the narrow lead.

In the ninth, the Bees looked to add to their lead but stranded two runners. That set the stage for closer Hans Crouse, who made quick work of the Chihuahuas. He struck out Trenton Brooks, induced a groundout from Oscar Gonzalez, and got Tirso Ornelas to line out to Niko Kavadas to seal the victory.

Game Notes

• After dropping their 2025 season opener on Friday, the Salt Lake Bees bounced back with a victory to even their record at 1-1, setting up a decisive rubber match against El Paso on Sunday afternoon.
• Eight of the nine Bees hitters reached base with a hit, with Matthew Lugo and J.D. Davis leading the way, each collecting two knocks. Lugo has now recorded a hit in both games to start the season and scored twice in the win.
• The Bees wasted no time getting on the board, as Niko Kavadas and Davis launched back-to-back home runs in the first inning—the team’s first consecutive homers since Chad Wallach and Elliot Soto accomplished the feat on April 21, 2024, against Reno. Kavadas finished the night 1-for-3 with a team-high three RBIs, including a towering blast that ranked as the third-longest home run in Minor League Baseball through two games this season. Davis went 2-for-5 with a pair of RBIs, including his first-inning homer on an 0-2 pitch.
• Sebastian Rivero provided key insurance late in the game with a clutch two-run double, his first since August 29, 2024, when he played for Mississippi. Rivero finished 1-for-4 with two RBIs.
• Neither starting pitcher lasted long. Salt Lake’s Chase Silseth exited after 1.2 innings, allowing two runs on two hits while striking out one and walking four—the most free passes he’s issued since June 11 of last season. El Paso’s Jared Kollar was pulled after three innings, surrendering five runs on six hits with just one strikeout.
• Hans Crouse sealed the victory in the ninth, retiring El Paso in order on 12 pitches to notch Salt Lake’s first save of the season and the third of his career.

Up Next

The Bees and Chihuahuas wrap up their opening weekend series on Sunday at 12:05 MDT at Southwest University Park in El Paso. Los Angeles Angels No. 2 prospect Caden Dana will take the mound for Salt Lake, facing El Paso’s Stephen Kolek in the finale.