Drew Miller went five-for-five with five RBI in the Calgary Vipers 11-8 win over the Kansas City T-Bones at Foothills Stadium in front of 2601 fans. Miller, who also scored a run, delivered the knock out blow with a bases clearing three run double in Calgary's five run seventh inning which broke open a 6-6 tie. With the victory the Snakes remain a game and a half up on Fargo-Moorhead for first place in the North Division with nine games left in the first half.

 

For the second straight night Calgary wasted little time putting up a run in the first inning. Darryl Brinkley reached on a Rob Watson throwing error and after a Miller single, was plated by a Carlos Duncan RBI base hit.

 

The lead doubled in the second inning when speedy Manabu Kuramochi walked and took off for second with Brinkley at the plate. Kansas City's pitcher Trevor Caughey threw behind Kuramochi but the ball sailed high and down into the bullpen allowing the speedy second baseman to steal second and score on the two base throwing error.

 

Kansas City tied the game in the fourth inning with Al Benjamin doubling and scoring on a Jason Belcher sacrifice fly. Calvin Pickering followed by walking and plating on a Nelson Gord single.

 

The T-Bones took their only lead of the game in the fifth inning thanks to a Rob Watson lead off single and later coming home on a Pickering groundout to make the score 3-2.

 

That lead was short lived however as in the bottom of the inning Jorge Tang and Kuramochi both walked and scored on Darryl Brinkley's league leading 42 run batted in and a bases loaded walk to Jason Colson.

 

Two more runs were added by Calgary in the sixth inning when Miller drove in his first two runs of the game. Kevin Price singled, Tang walked, and Brinkley was intentional walked to load the bases for Miller who promptly cashed in two with a hard hit ball off the T-Bones first baseman to give the Snakes a three run lead at 6-3.

 

Once again though the T-Bones rallied and tied the game in the seventh inning. Aharon Eggleston led off with a single and later scored on a Benjamin fielder's choice. Pickering was next to the plate and hit the only homerun of the night to tie the affair at six.

 

But for the second time in the game the Vipers stormed right back in the bottom of the inning putting up a five spot. Mitch Evans singled, Aaron McEachran doubled, Price drove in Evans with a sacrifice fly, and Kuramochi and Brinkley walked to load the bases again for Miller. This time he one upped himself with a three run double down the left field line to make the score 10-6. Duncan capped the inning with another RBI single to score Miller.

 

In the eighth inning Kansas City scored a run with Belcher doubling and later scoring on a wild pitch.

 

One more run was scored in the ninth by the T-Bones with Watson plating on a Pickering groundout. After Tom Lyons picked up a big strikeout to the only batter he faced, Ryan Olson came into the game with the tying run on deck and recorded his third save of the season, retiring the two batters he faced on only two pitches.

 

Geoff Freeborn is now 4-0 after throwing the seventh inning in relief of starter Evan Greusel who had another quality start going six innings and giving up three runs.

 

The Snakes as a team walked ten times led by Kuramochi who recorded three of them.