For the third time in the last ten days the Calgary Vipers squandered a ninth inning lead to lose in extra innings 5-4 to the Winnipeg Goldeyes at Foothills Stadium in Calgary, Alberta. The Vipers had a 4-3 lead headed into the ninth with David Manning coming in to try and give starter Jeff Groeger his fourth win of the season. However after a hit by pitch and a major miscue on a shallow fly ball to center field, the Goldeyes tied the game and took the game in the very next inning.
In the bottom of the second the Vipers scored first when with two outs Kevin Price singled, Drew Miller singled, and Jorge Tang singled to drive in a run for the 1-0 lead.
Winnipeg responded right back in the third when Fehlandt Lentini doubled, moved to third on a balk and scored on a Cameron Coughlan sacrifice fly.
Calgary though took the lead back in the bottom half of the inning when Jason Colson drove home his 21st RBI of the season, scoring Carlos Duncan who had singled and stole second.
The back and forth game continued in the seventh when Winnipeg's Antoin Gray tripled, scored on a Chris Latham single, and then after Latham had stole second and reached third on a passed ball, he scored on a Luis Alen RBI single making it 3-2 for the Goldeyes.
The Vipers responded right away in the bottom half of the seventh when again with two outs Carlos Duncan drilled a two run shot to give Calgary back the lead at 4-3.
In the ninth with one out Manning hit Latham with a 1-2 pitch and he then stole second base. Scott Schade followed by hitting a sky high fly ball to shallow center field that no Vipers player saw and it fell in to put runners at the corners. Alen then picked up his second RBI of the night to tie the game and force extra innings.
To lead off the tenth Coughlan hit a fly ball to shallow center field that Darryl Brinkley did not pick up right away and landed in for a double. After stealing third Jimmy Hurst hit a sacrifice fly to give Winnipeg the lead, and eventual game 5-4.
The loss spoiled a great start for Groeger who went seven innings giving up seven hits and three runs while walking no one and striking out four.
Brinkley went three-for-five with a run scored extending his hitting streak to 19 games and Drew Miller reached base for the 20 straight game.
Rookies Price and Tang combined to go five-for-eight with a run scored and a run batted in. Duncan leading the league in average went two-for-five with two runs scored and two runs batted in.
Only one walk was handed out by either team tonight and it happened in the tenth inning with two out, Randy Waite walked Gray.
The 1037 that took in the game was one of the loudest crowds in Vipers history.
The series continues at Foothills Stadium Saturday 5:05 PM (MDT), and Sunday 1:35 PM (MDT). Tickets can be ordered by phone by calling 277-BALL (2255). All games can be heard live online at
www.am770chqr.com.
