The Calgary Vipers dropped consecutive games with a 7-4 loss to lose the three game series to the Winnipeg Goldeyes in front of 2213 fans at Foothills Stadium in Calgary, Alberta. The Goldeyes jumped out to the early 3-0 lead but the Vipers fought back and tied the game in the bottom of the sixth. However in the seventh inning Winnipeg took the lead for good and were able to hang on to it over the final three innings.
Winnipeg scored first in the top of the second inning starting with a two out walk to Aaron McEachran. Luis Alen followed with a double to the left-centerfield gap that caused a play at the plate. Mitch Evans received the relay throw from shortstop Nelson Castro and applied the tag on McEachran but the ball rolled out of his glove allowing the run to count.
The Goldeyes added to the lead in the third inning with a leadoff double by Max Poulin and a two out, two run homer by Brent Metheny. For Metheny it was his 19th of the season and his third straight game with one in the series.
Calgary made it a one run game in the bottom of the fifth inning after Evans walked and Jorge Tang reached on a bunt single. Darryl Brinkley picked up his 73 run batted in with a single and with two outs Castro smacked a double off the centerfield wall that scored Tang and brought about another play at the plate. With Brinkley coming around all the way from first the Goldeyes executed the perfect relay from Fehlandt Lentini to Poulin to Alen who tagged out Brinkley and kept his team in the lead at 3-2.
The Vipers tied the game an inning later in the sixth. Carlos Duncan led off the inning with a double to centerfield but Lentini fumbled the ball and allowed Duncan to move up to third base on the error. Jason Colson followed with a sacrifice fly to left field to knot the game at three.
Right back came the Fish though in the next half inning with three runs to retake their three run lead. Alen reached on a infield single and with two outs and him on at first Calgary starter Ryan Klatt was pulled from the game for lefthander Scott Sarver. Left handed hitter Poulin nailed a triple off the right field wall on the ninth pitch of his at bat to score Alen and give Winnipeg back the lead. Lentini and Demond Smith were then walked and into the game came Ryan Olson. Metheny greeted him with a two run single to make the score 6-3 and give him four runs batted in on the afternoon.
A run was grabbed by the Snakes in the bottom of the eighth with a leadoff triple by Duncan and a RBI groundout by Colson. It was Colson's league leading 76th RBI of the season.
Poulin continued his great game in the ninth with a double and was quickly scored by a Lentini single for the 7-4 game. Poulin went three-for-four on the game with two doubles, a triple, three runs scored, and a run batted in.
Mike Kusiewicz got his sixth win of the year going six innings and giving up two earned runs while striking out five. Matt Davis recorded his 18th save of the season pitching a scoreless ninth.
The Vipers now welcome the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks to town for Monday August 20th, Tuesday August 21st, and Wednesday August 22nd games all at 7:05 PM (MDT). Wednesday's game is also mini-baseball key chain giveaway night. Tickets can be ordered by calling 277-BALL (2255). The games can be heard live online at
am770chqr.com.
The Vipers are already selling playoff tickets. The Northern League North Division Final opens in Calgary on Tuesday, September 4 and Wednesday, September 5. And the Vipers are also offering free parking for the Labour Day Classic between the Stampeders and Eskimos for any football fan who buys a Vipers playoff ticket.
