Aces win fifth straight

RENO " Four Aces pitchers combined on a seven-hitter Tuesday, as Reno pushed its winning streak to five games with a 5-1 victory over the Oklahoma City RedHawks at Aces Ballpark.

Tony Barnette (W, 3-4) started and went five innings, allowing six hits and the only RedHawks run.

Reno relievers Billy Spottiswood, Jon Coutlangus, and Bobby Korecky shutout the RedHawks over the final four innings to protect the lead for the Aces. Coutlangus struck out all four batters he faced before Korecky pitched a perfect ninth inning for the Aces.

The Aces trailed 1-0 before scoring one run in both the fourth and fifth innings.

In the fourth, Reno scored twice with the benefit of only one base-hit, while John Hester and Ruben Gotay had run-scoring hits in the fifth to extend the Aces lead to 4-1. Reno tacked on an insurance run in the eighth on a Chris Roberson RBI double.

The Aces chased hard-throwing RedHawks right-hander Neftali Feliz (L, 2-2) in the fourth inning, giving him only his second loss of the season.

Josh Whitesell continued his hot hitting for the Aces, going 3-for-4 to raise his team-leading average to .367. Gotay doubled twice " once from each side of the plate"for Reno, who saw seven of its nine starters get a hit en route to its season-long fifth straight victory.

Reno looks for its second straight series win this afternoon, as it sends Seth Etherton (4-3, 5.13 ERA) to the hill to oppose Oklahoma City's Elizardo Ramirez (1-4, 3.29 ERA).

Today's game is the first of two consecutive education days, with first pitch scheduled for 11:35 a.m.