The Calgary Vipers
squandered a 3-1 eighth
inning lead to lose 8-3
to the Joliet
JackHammers in front of
2095 fans at Foothills
Stadium in Calgary,
Alberta. Evan Greusel
for the second time this
season had a great start
turn into a no decision
after the bullpen
combined to give up
seven runs in the
eighth. It is the second
loss for the Vipers who
fall to 6-2 on the
season but are still in
first place in the West
Division.
It wasn't until the top
of the fifth inning for
the first run of the
game. Tim Hutting led
off the inning with a
single and was followed
by two sacrifice bunts
plus an error to move
him up to third base.
With one out Anthony
Monegan grounded out to
second to score Hutting
and make it 1-0 Joliet.
The Vipers responded in
a big way in the sixth
with two outs. Carlos
Duncan singled and then
Jason Colson hit a
hanging curve ball deep
to right field for his
first homerun of the
season to give Calgary
the 2-1 lead.
The turning point of
this game came in the
seventh inning. Calgary
thanks to some defensive
miscues by the
JackHammers loaded the
bases with none out.
Darryl Brinkley walked
with the bases loaded to
score Kevin Price but
then with one out and
still the bases loaded
both Nelson Castro and
Carlos Duncan struck out
swinging to end the
inning with only the one
run scored.
Carrying that momentum
Joliet led of the eighth
against Calgary reliever
Kazu Minami with a solo
homerun by Chris Brown
to close the lead to
one. Minami then walked
Monegan and got Cory
Harris to pop up to
center field, except the
only problem was Jorge
Tang lost sight of the
baseball and Harris had
himself an RBI triple to
tie the game. Chad
Ehrnsberger then walked,
bringing in Tom Lyons
who in turn walked Juan
Diaz. Geoff Freeborn
came in and got a ground
ball but Castro
committed an error
allowing the go ahead
run to score. Kevin
Sullivan and Brown
capped the inning off
with two run singles to
give the JackHammers the
8-3 lead.
Greusel for the Vipers
threw seven innings
giving up only one
unearned run, walking
nobody, and striking out
four. However for the
second time this season
after leaving the game
with a two run lead the
bullpen could not hold
onto the victory for
him.
Duncan remained hot at
the plate going
three-for-five with a
run scored.
These two teams pick
things right back up
Saturday May 26th at
5:05 PM (MDT), Sunday
May 27th at 1:35 PM
(MDT), and Monday May
28th at 7:05 PM (MDT).
Tickets can be ordered
by phone at 277-BALL
(2255). All games can be
heard live online at www.am770chqr.com.
