Fargo-Moorhead opened the scoring in the top of the first as Mike Just started the inning by walking. With one out and after Just had stolen second base, Tydus Meadows hit a groundball to third baseman Jorge Tang who air mailed it over to first allowing Just to score and Meadows to move into second. After a fly ball and what should have been the third out of the inning, Ruben Salazar hit a fly ball to right field that dropped on the warning track for a RBI single and the 2-0 lead.
A run was added in the top of the second as Casey Haugen walked with two outs, stole second base, and scored on a Just RBI base hit.
Meadows started the third inning with a double, moved to third base on a Billy Munoz fly ball, and scored on a Salazar RBI groundout to make the score 4-0.
Richard Austin leadoff the fifth inning with a shot into centerfield that Brinkley jumped up at wall to try and make the play but the ball was just out of his reach and banged off the wall and back towards the infield. Austin to his credit was running hard all the way and with a head first slide at home had a inside the park home run. Munoz walked, moved to third on a Kory Wayment base hit, and scored on a Dan Maycock RBI single for the 6-0 advantage.
Calgary starter Ryan Klatt lasted five innings and gave up eight hits for four earned runs in picking up his seventh loss of the season.
Haugen continued his great game in the sixth with a leadoff single off new Vipers' pitcher Tom Lyons. Just followed with a walk and Meadows had a blooper fall into right field for a RBI and the 7-0 game.
Back at it was Haugen in the eighth with another leadoff single. Once again Just would walk and Meadows drove Haugen in for his third run with a RBI single. With the bases loaded and one out in the inning the designated hitter for the Snakes, Ryan Wyland, came into the game to pitch. Wyland earlier in the game recorded his first professional base hit and did a fantastic job in getting a strikeout and a fly ball to end the eighth inning with no further damage.
In the top of the ninth inning Fargo-Moorhead added insult to injury with four more runs. Maycock doubled, Haugen was hit by pitch, Just walked to load the bases and then both Austin and Meadows walked for runs batted in. Just scored later in the inning on a passed ball and Munoz hit a sacrifice fly to score Austin and cap their lead at 12-0.
The Vipers broke the shutout in the bottom of the ninth thanks to an error by Just. Castro singled to leadoff the inning and with two outs Drew Miller, who played in his 260th consecutive game tonight, hit a routine groundball to second base that Just booted and kept the inning alive. A batter later Tang extended his hitting streak to 12 games with a RBI single.
This series continues Thursday August 30, and Friday August 3 at 7:05 PM. Friday is "Noche De Beisbol" as the Vipers salute their Venezuelan and Dominican players. On Saturday September 1 at 5:05 PM all women attending will receive a free gift for Labour Day and on Sunday September 2nd at 1:35 PM it is fan appreciation day to close out the 2007 regular season. Also on Sunday the 2007 Player Awards will be handed out. Tickets can be ordered by calling 277-BALL (2255). The games can also 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 on both nights their will be fireworks following the games. 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.
