Thanks to a two-run walk off home run the Calgary Vipers defeated the Gary SouthShore RailCats 7-6 at Foothills Stadium in Calgary, Alberta in front of 2,194 delighted fans. With one out and one on in the bottom of the ninth and the Vipers trailing by one run Carlos Duncan smoked a game ending two run bomb to give Calgary a 1-0 series advantage. It was a game the Snakes trailed 4-0 but got a marvellous bullpen outing from Chris Schutt who went four innings and gave up no runs while striking out five to allow his team to get back into the game.

The RailCats scored the first runs of the game in the top of the second inning. Steve Haake led off the frame with a solo home run over the right field wall and was followed by a Jose Yepez single and a Jermaine Allensworth double. With runners in scoring position and none out Tanner Townsend lifted a sacrifice fly to make the score 2-0.

Gary SouthShore doubled their lead in the fourth inning starting with a leadoff double by Yepez and a bunt single from Allensworth. With one out and the runners in scoring position Mike Reese delivered a two run single to make the lead 4-0.

Calgary responded in the bottom of the inning with their first hits and runs of the game. Carlos Duncan started by singling to left field and Jason Colson quickly followed with a RBI double down the right field line. With two outs Nelson Castro clutched up and drove in Colson with a single to cut the lead in half at 4-2.

In the top of the fifth Eric Blakeley leadoff with a single and Haake scored him on a double to chase Calgary starter Scott Sarver from the game. In came Chris Schutt with a runner in scoring position and no outs and thanks to a groundout and back-to-back strikeouts was able to get out of the inning without any further damage against.

That run was matched in the bottom of the inning as the Snakes loaded the bases on a Jorge Tang bunt single, Darryl Brinkley line drive base hit, and a Drew Miller walk. With one out Duncan plated a run with a sacrifice fly to cut the score down to 5-3 but Colson struck out swinging to end the inning.

An inning later in the bottom of the sixth Calgary put their first two runners but Buddy Morales hit into a double play and Tang grounded out to end the frame without scoring.

The game became tied in the bottom of the eighth as Kyle Nichols singled to right field and Castro followed with a perfect bunt single that moved Nichols to third base after a throwing error. Morales brought the Vipers within one with a sacrifice fly and with two outs Tang delivered a huge RBI triple to right-centerfield to tie the game at five.

Right back came the RailCats though in the top of the ninth with a leadoff double from Blakeley and after a Yepez single advanced him to third, he scored on a swinging bunt RBI single from Allensworth for his fourth hit of the game.

In the bottom of the ninth Miller was hit by a pitch with one out and on a 1-0 count Duncan ended the game with his towering drive to left-centrefield.

Game two of this series is Wednesday, September 12 at 7:05 PM. Tickets can be ordered by calling 277-BALL (2255). Game three will be on Friday,  September 14 at 6:00 PM (MDT) in Gary. Games four and five if necessary will go Saturday, September 16 at 5:00 PM (MDT) and Sunday, September 16 at 1:00 PM (MDT) also in Gary. The games can be heard live online at am770chqr.com.