The Calgary Vipers and the Edmonton Cracker-Cats each picked up a victory in a double header at Foothills Stadium in Calgary, Alberta in front of a season high 2298 fans. The Vipers picked up the game one win with a 3-0 shutout and the Cracker-Cats won 7-3 in the back half of the two seven inning games. Even with the spilt, because of a Winnipeg loss, the Snakes move into sole possession of first place in the North Division by a half game.

Jordy Alexander for Calgary and Lou Pote for Edmonton were the victors on the night, pitching very effectively with runners on base. Alexander in the first game got the complete game shutout leaving four runners in scoring position, whereas Pote went five innings in game two and left six runners in scoring position.

In game one the only scoring of the pitcher's duel came in the bottom of the fifth inning when Cats starter Scott Richmond ran into trouble with two walks to Mitch Evans and Manabu Kuramochi and also a hit by pitch to Drew Miller to load the bases. With the count full, two outs, and the runners going on the pitch to the plate, Carlos Duncan smoked a fastball off the left-centerfield wall clearing the bases and giving the Snakes a 3-0 lead.

Alexander took over from there, retiring six of the final seven batters he faced to pick up the seven inning, four hit, three strikeout, complete game shutout against his former team.

In game two Edmonton came out hot in the first inning with a leadoff single by George Sandel and then a two run homerun by Ryan Radmanovich for the early lead.

An inning later that lead doubled with a Sandel RBI double and a Terrence McClain RBI single to make the score 4-0.

With a new Vipers pitcher into the game the scoring did not stop as the Cracker-Cats put up a third consecutive two spot with Jason Aspito scoring on a balk and Tim Ryan driving homer Chris Becker.

Calgary's attempted comeback started in the bottom of the third when Jason Colson plated Duncan after his leadoff double.

The Snakes pulled within three runs in the fourth with an RBI single by Darryl Brinkley, to score Jorge Tang, and a RBI groundout by Duncan to score Kuramochi.

An insurance run was added in the fifth by Edmonton when Sandel hit a sacrifice fly to cash Adam Shorsher.

Colson hit his sixth homerun of the season in the bottom of the seventh to again close the game to three but that is as close as the Vipers would get.

Calgary left 10 runners on base in the game including six of those being in scoring position.

This series continues Saturday at 5:05 PM (MDT) with the Cardel "Pack the Park" Carnival with Chris Schutt facing Dorian Castro. Sunday the four game set wraps up at 1:35 PM (MDT). Tickets can be ordered by calling 277-BALL (2255). The games can be heard live online at www.am770chqr.com.