Extra-Base Hits Help Cats Outlast Aviators, 4-3

WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. – A two-run double in the first and a pair of solo homers in third and sixth provided all the offense needed, as the Sacramento River Cats were able outlast the Las Vegas Aviators by a 4-3 final on Saturday.

Getting right to work in the bottom of the first, three straight hits in the bottom of the first led to the game’s first run for the River Cats (26-30/70-61), as Cavan Biggio singled and Luis Matos doubled in front of Wade Meckler, who smacked a two-bagger of his own that brought both runners home.

Before the Aviators (27-28/64-66) could answer, Sacramento added on with another run in the bottom of the third, as Luis Matos crushed his 14th homer of the year on a 3-2 pitch to leadoff the inning and push the Sacramento edge to 3-0.

The first response from Las Vegas came in the fourth courtesy of a two-out single to right field from Darell Hernaiz, scoring Ryan Noda on the play who had started the frame with a free pass.

Sacramento turned to a leadoff long ball once again in the sixth frame, this time from the bat of Blake Sabol as he smashed his third homer in the past four games that once again put the River Cats up by three, 4-1.

Las Vegas’ answer came much faster this time around, forcing across a run in the away half of the seventh when Hoy Park turned on a 2-2 pitch and hammered it over the wall in right field. That score held into the ninth when the Aviators attempted one final push, pulling within a run when Logan Davidson hit his second homer in as many games with a solo shot to center field on a 2-0 pitch.

However, that one-out blast was all that the Aviators could find in the bottom of the ninth, bringing the contest to its final of 4-3. Closing the door in the ninth was Austin Warren, earning his second save of the year. That preserved the win for starter Carson Seymour (6-9), his sixth of the year after he yielded only one run on three hits in 5.2 innings of work, striking out five while walking three.

Producing his second three-hit game of the month was Matos, as he closed his night 3-for-4 with two runs scored, a double, homer and an RBI. Five other River Cats earned knocks including Sabol, who extended his hitting streak to eight games thanks to his homer in the sixth. However, the eight-game streak of Hunter Bishop came to an end after he struck out in a pinch-hit appearance in the eighth.

Leading the series three games to two, Sacramento will attempt to win the set outright in the series finale on Sunday at 1:05 p.m. (PT).