RENO, Nev.- Brandon Watson hit for the first cycle in Aces franchise history Thursday night, lifting Reno to a 13-9 victory over the Portland Beavers in the series finale at Aces Ballpark.
Watson singled in the first, tripled in the second, homered in the third and doubled in the seventh to complete the cycle. In the eighth, Watson added another single for his fifth hit of the night. For the evening, Watson finished 5-for-6 with four runs scored and three driven in.
The Aces took a 10-0 lead through three innings, but the large advantage would be short-lived. Portland scored nine times over the next three frames to cut the deficit to a run at 10-9. In the seventh, though, the Aces roared back with three runs to take a lead they wouldn't relinquish.
Reno starter Seth Etherton (8-6) earned the victory, despite surrendering seven runs on 12 hits over 5.1 innings of work. After Jose Marte allowed two runs in two-thirds of an inning, Scott Dohmann and Doug Slaten kept Portland silent over the game's final three frames.
The loss fell to Portland starter Cha Seung Baek (0-2), who allowed just a hit and threw nine pitches before being removed from the ballgame.
The Aces now hit the road for a four-game series in Fresno. In the opener, RHP Hector Ambriz (3-7, 6.01 ERA) gets the nod for Reno. He'll face-off with Fresno's RHP Joe Martinez (0-0, 3.60 ERA).
Reno returns home on July 28 for an eight-game homestand. For tickets, stop by the Aces Ballpark Box Office, call (775) 334-7000 or visit www.RenoAces.com.
