The Calgary Vipers lost their fourth straight game with a 13-10 slugfest lose to the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks at Foothills Stadium in Calgary, Alberta. The Vipers held 5-0 and 7-6 leads but could not hold on as they gave up ten runs in the final four innings of the game. The RedHawks in their three wins in this series have now scored 35 runs on 38 hits.
After struggling with the bats in the first two games of the series the Vipers broke out in a big way in the bottom of the first inning. Darryl Brinkley led off the game with a double and was followed by a Nelson Castro single and a Carlos Duncan RBI base hit for the first run of the game. Jason Colson walked to load the bases and Kyle Nichols drove home two with a base knock. Drew Miller also walked to again load the bases and Jorge Tang doubled in two more runs for the early 5-0 lead. However with two runners in scoring position and no out the Snakes were unable to score anymore runs.
The RedHawks got back into the game and cut the lead to 5-2 in the third inning with a leadoff single by Dan Maycock who advanced to second base on a wild pitch. Casey Haugen dropped down a perfect bunt for a hit to put runners at the corners. Haugen stole second base and Joe Mathis grounded out to first base for a RBI and to move Haugen to third where he scored on another wild pitch that got threw the legs of catcher Shaun Ashman.
Fargo-Moorhead made three exceptional defensive plays by all three of their outfielders in the game. In the second inning Tydus Meadows saved a run with a leaping catch at the wall, in the third Mathis dove horizontal for a diving catch, and in the fourth Maycock saved at least a run with a jumping catch against the wall as well. With the great defensive play and the struggles by the Vipers late in the first inning Calgary left four runners stranded in scoring position in the first four innings.
Adam Shorsher smacked his seventh home run of the year in the top of the fifth to trim the lead to two at 5-3.
Mike Just leadoff the sixth with a double and scored on Meadow's 17th home run of the year that tied the game at five. Billy Munoz doubled and with two outs Dan Maycock drove him in with a shot to right field for the 6-5 lead.
Right back came Calgary in the bottom of the inning though to retake the lead. Ashman led off with a walk and Manabu Kuramochi moved him to second with his Northern League Record 20th sacrifice bunt of the season. Brinkley followed with a infield single to third base and on the throw to first base Ashman took off for third and Munoz's throw to third was off line and it allowed Ashman to score and Brinkley to reach second base. Brinkley picked up his second stolen base of the game and with the infield drawn in Castro collected his third hit for a RBI to take the 7-6 lead. Castro stole his second bag of the game and moved to third on a grounded out but became the fifth runner left in scoring position by the Snakes.
Calgary starter Jeff Groeger left the game after the sixth inning in line for the win as he went six innings walking only one and striking out a season high seven batters.
Back and forth the game continued in the next half inning as Shorsher doubled and Haugen was hit by a pitch to put two runners on. Mathis gave the RedHawks back the lead by stroking his 17th bomb of the season off of Chris Schutt for the 9-7 advantage.
The Vipers continued to battle though with Kuramochi walking in the bottom of the eighth inning. Doug Young came into the game for Brinkley who picked up his third hit of the game and then Castro walked to load the bases. RedHawks closer Nate Cotton came into the game and hit Duncan, and walked Nichols to bring in the tying runs but also struck out Colson and Miller to end the inning. Calgary left two more in scoring position to push their game total to seven.
With the game tied at nine Tom Lyons came into the game for the ninth and Mathis greeted him with a double. Just and Meadows followed with walks and Austin blasted a grand slam for the 13-9 lead.
In the bottom of the ninth Ashman singled and Kuramochi walked but Brinkley hit into a fielder's choice and Castro struck out to end the game. Ashman scored on a wild pitch and Brinkley was left in scoring position for the eighth runner of the game.
Cotton picked up his third win of the season throwing two thirds of an inning hitting one, walking one, and striking out two.
This series continues Saturday, September 1 at 5:05 PM and all women attending will receive a free gift for Labour Day and on Sunday, September 2 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 and fans will receive a team photo. 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. 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.
