Aviators hold on for 7-5 victory over Isotopes

The Las Vegas Aviators jumped out to a 6-2 lead and held on Wednesday night for a 7-5 victory over the Albuquerque Isotopes in front of 8,223 people at Las Vegas Ballpark.

The Aviators (26-21) opened the scoring with a two-out rally in the bottom of the first inng. Beau Taylor walked and scored on Seth Brown’s double. Corban Joseph’s single scored Brown and the Aviators had a 2-0 lead.

After the Isotopes tied the game in their half of the third, Sheldon Neuse gave Las Vegas the lead for good with his eighth homer of the season, a two-run shot.

The Aviators weren’t done in the third and extended their lead when Mark Payton drove in Joseph and Franklin Barreto.

Sam Hilliard belted his 14th home run of the season to slice the Aviators’ lead to 6-4 in the sixth.

Hilliard tripled and scored in the eighth to make the score 6-5, but the Aviators tacked on an insurance run in their half of the inning when Barretto singled and came around to score on Nick Martini’s two-out single to center.

J.B. Wendelken earned his first win of the season, hurling one inning of relief. Brian Schlitter recorded his eighth save of the season.