A last minute
substitution by Calgary
Vipers' manager Mike
Busch led to the winning
run in a 1-0 five inning
victory against the
Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks
at Newman Outdoor Field
in Fargo, North
Dakota. The reasoning
behind the switch was
Fargo-Moorhead
manager Doug Simunic
changing of his starting
pitcher right before the
game from right hander Gerritt
Simpson to lefty Adam
Rowe because of not
wanting the imminent
rain to
shorten Simpson's second
start of the season.
Busch responded by
sitting the left handed
hitting Shaun Ashman for
the right handed
hitting Kevin Price to
play the match up game
and it paid off when
Price scored the games
only run.
With the two teams
realizing a thunder
storm was right around
the corner it set up a
very interesting fifth
inning. The reason being
both teams were well
aware of the rule that
the game becomes
official and does not
need to be finished
after five innings have
been played. With the
rain ready to start
pouring at any minute
the Vipers' pressed for
the first run of the
game in the top of the
fifth. Price led off
with a double to left
field, and was followed
by Jorge Tang spanking
his second single of the
game to score Price and
give the Vipers the 1-0
lead. It was a big
moment for both Price
and Tang who are both
rookies and both making
their North America
professional baseball
debuts.
The pressure mounted in
the bottom half of the
fifth inning with the
rain even closer and
now Fargo-Moorhead
trailing by one. After
only one hit in the
first four innings off
Calgary starter Jeff
Groeger the RedHawks
started the inning with
a Richard Austin single
and Clint Johnston
double to put runners at
second and third with no
one out. In a normal
game the infield
would most likely
be playing back in
normal position, willing
to sacrifice the run for
an out, however again in
this special
circumstance, Busch
called the infield in
and it paid off as Brian
Munhall hit a ground
ball to shortstop Nelson
Castro who tagged out
Johnston between second
and third base for the
first out of the inning.
Groeger then picked up a
huge strikeout of Darryl
Lawhorn for the second
out. Kory Wayment
followed and sent a high
fly ball right above
home plate, only problem
was Calgary catch Mitch
Evans did not see it and
forced Carlos Duncan to
come charging in all the
way from deep third base
to make a great catch on
the eventual final out
of the game.
Right after the inning
ended the game went into
rain delay and one hour
later the umpires
decided to call the game
and make it official.
Groeger picked up his
second win on the season
thanks to going five
innings giving up only
three hits, no runs, and
striking out two for the
shutout. The Vipers are
now 5-1 and in first
place in the West
Division, one game ahead
of the 4-2 RedHawks.
This series
concludes
Wednesday at
10:00 AM (MDT)
with both teams
looking for the
rubber match
victory. The
game can be
heard live
online at www.am770chqr.com.
The home opener
at newly
refurbished
Foothills
Stadium is set
for Friday, May
25 at 7:00 PM
(MDT) when the
Vipers will
celebrate the
100th
anniversary of
professional
baseball in
Alberta.
