After a late comeback by the Kansas City T-Bones the Calgary Vipers rallied for three runs in the top of the ninth inning for a 8-6 win at Community America Ballpark in Kansas City, Kansas. The victory gives the Snakes a three game series sweep and also moves Calgary into a tie with the idle Winnipeg Goldeyes for first place in the North Division. Calgary returns home for a weekend series against the Edmonton Cracker-Cats with the leagues best road record at 13-3 after going 5-1 on this road trip.
Darryl Brinkley led off the game with his third homerun in two days and his seventh of the season to give the Vipers the 1-0 lead.
Kansas City responded right away in the bottom half of the opening frame when Rob Watson scored from second base on a throwing error by catcher Kevin Price. Calvin Pickering followed with a RBI single to score Neb Brown who had walked and stole second with two outs.
The Vipers tied the game in the third as Manabu Kuramochi led off with a bunt single, Brinkley also singled, and Nelson Castro moved them up with a sacrifice bunt. 90 feet away, Kuramochi ended up scoring on a wild pitch to knot the game at two runs a piece.
Calgary took their first lead of the game in the fourth when Jorge Tang singled and was sacrificed to second by Kuramochi. Tang then scored and Brinkley reached on a error by the third baseman Watson. Castro followed with a single and Duncan hit an RBI double plating Brinkley to make the score 4-2.
A fifth run was added in the sixth by the Snakes when they loaded the bases with a Tang triple, Brinkley intentional walk, and Castro hit by pitch. Another wild pitch was uncorked by Kansas City allowing Tang to score for the three run lead at 5-2.
The T-Bones comeback started in the bottom of the sixth with a Mario Delgado solo homerun. Calgary starter Kazu Minami was later pulled in the inning ending his day going five and a third innings giving up three runs and striking out three.
Aharon Eggleston was hit by a Randy Waite pitch to start a rally in the seventh inning. Geoff McCallum and Watson hit back to back RBI doubles to tie the game at five and Calvin Pickering with two outs delievered a bloop single scoring Watson and giving Kansas City their first lead of the game.
For the third time this season the Vipers rallied when trailing heading into their final at bats. Three great plate appearances by Jason Colson, Drew Miller, and Aaron McEachran all drew walks against T-Bones closer Dan Jackson. Colson, after extending his on base streak to a league season high 24 games, tied the game, scoring on a passed ball, and Price deliever a two run double to clear the bags and give Calgary the 8-6 lead.
Geoff Freeborn recorded his second win of the season going two innings giving up two hits and striking out three of the eight batters he faced. Ryan Klatt picked up his second save of the season shutting Kansas City down three straight, including a strike out, in the bottom of the ninth.
Brinkley continued his tear going three-for-four, scoring two runs, driving one in, being intentionally walked twice, and reaching base all six times to the plate. McEachran has been a very welcome addition in just his third game going three-for-four and scoring a run while Tang was the other Viper to have a multi-hit game, inlcuding two runs scored.
The Vipers now return home to Foothills Stadium for a double header on Friday starting at 6:05 PM (MDT) against the Edmonton Cracker-Cats. Jordy Alexander and Tom Lyons will make the starts for Calgary in those two games and the series wraps up Saturday at 5:05 PM (MDT) and Sunday at 1:35 PM (MDT). Tickets can be ordered by calling 277-BALL (2255). The game can be heard live online at
www.am770chqr.com.
