The
Calgary
Vipers
behind
solid
hitting,
pitching,
and
defence
defeated
the
Kansas
City
T-Bones
7-4 in
front of
1449 at
Foothills
Stadium
in
Calgary,
Alberta.
The
Vipers
slugged
out 13
hits for
seven
runs,
got a
solid
start
from
Chris
Schutt,
great
bullpen
work
from Tom
Lyons
and
Geoff
Freeborn,
and two
fabulous
plays
from
right
fielder
Kevin
Price
for the
victory.
With the
win the
Snakes
remain
two and
a half
games
ahead of
both
Fargo-Moorhead
and
Winnipeg
for
first
place in
the
North
Division
with
only
five
games
remaining
in the
first
half
schedule.
Yet
again
the
Vipers
scored
in the
first
inning
with
Darryl
Brinkley
doubling
and Drew
Miller
singling.
After
the
Miller
base hit
the
throw
from
right
fielder
Austin
Easley
sailed
over
everybody
to the
backstop
allowing
Brinkley
to plate
the
game's
first
run.
In the
top of
the
second
inning
Kansas
City
loaded
the
bases
with
none out
on two
hits and
a hit
batsman.
However
after
Schutt
got a
shallow
fly
ball,
Nelson
Gord
popped
up to
right
field
and with
Al
Benjamin
tagging
at third
base
Price
delivered
a bullet
to the
plate,
right on
the
money
and in
time for
the
inning
ending
double
play.
Calgary
carried
that
momentum
into the
bottom
of the
inning with
walks to
Mitch
Evans
and
Price to
lead off
the
inning.
After a
Jorge
Tang
sacrifice
bunt,
Manabu
Kuramochi
singled
home
both
runs to
make the
score
3-0.
The
scoring
continued
in the
third
with a
lead off
single
by
Carlos
Duncan.
Later in
the
frame,
after a
Kyle
Nichols
single,
Mitch
Evans
hit into
a
fielder's
choice
for an
RBI and
a four
run
lead.
The
T-Bones
added
their
first
run in
the
fourth
with a
double
by
Benjamin
and a
RBI
single
from
Easley.
In the
bottom
half of
the
fourth Brinkley,
Miller,
and
Duncan
singled
and
Brinkley
scored
on a
wild
pitch to
regain
the four
run
lead.
With two
outs
Colson
doubled
and
picked
up his
37th run
batted
in of
the year
bringing
home
Duncan
and
making
the
score
6-1.
Kansas
City
made the
game
interesting
in the
fifth
inning
with
hits
from
Aharon
Eggleston
and Rob
Watson.
With one
out
Mario
Delgado
hit a
groundball
that had
double
play
written
all over
it but
Kuramochi
rushed
his
throw to
first
and it
was over
the head
of
Colson
allowing
Eggleston
to score
and the
inning
to
continue.
Now with
two
outs,
Calvin
Pickering
and Neb
Brown
had RBI
singles
to cut
the lead
down to
two at
6-4.
One of
those
runs was
taken
back in
the
bottom
of the
fifth
with
back-to-back
extra
base
hits by
Price
doubling,
and Tang
tripling
him in
to push
the game
to 7-4.
Schutt
went
five and
a third
innings
for his
team
leading
fifth
win of
the
season.
He gave
up four
runs but
with the
completed
double
play in
the
fourth
could
have
only
allowed
one.
Lyons
came in
and did
his job
recording
an out
on the
only man
his
faced in
the
sixth
inning
with two
runners
on.
North
Division
All-Star
Freeborn
took
over
from
there
getting
the last
out of
that
inning
and then
going
the
final
three
innings
giving
up only
one hit
and
striking
out
three
for his
first
save of
the
season.
In the
eighth
inning
Price
made his
second
spectacular
play of
the
game.
With a
runner
on and
two outs
Price
saved a
run by
making a
diving
catch,
that had
extra
bases
written
all over
it, near
the
right
field
line.
Price
also had
a solid
day at
the dish
going
two-for-two
with two
doubles,
two runs
scored,
a walk,
and a
hit by
pitch.
The top
of the
order
continued
to
produce
with a
three
hit game
by
Miller
and two
hit
games by
Brinkley
and
Duncan.
The
Vipers
now head
out on
the road
for the
final
five
games of
the
first
half
against
the
Schaumburg
Flyers. Wednesday
at 5:20
PM
(MDT),
Thursday
and
Friday
at 6:05
(MDT), Saturday
at 5:20
PM
(MDT),
and
Sunday
at 12:20
PM
(MDT).
All
games
can be
heard
live
online
at
www.am770chqr.com.
Calgary
returns
home
Monday
July
16th to
open a
seven
game
home
stand.
Tickets
can be
ordered
by
calling
277-BALL
(2255).
