SNAKES HAND FARGO SECOND STRAIGHT LOSS

Calgary Vipers starter Ryan Jamison turned in his second straight complete game effort, striking out six batters as the Vipers handed the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks their second loss in as many nights with a 7-2 win on Thursday.

Jamison (2-2), who went the distance last week in Winnipeg to earn his first win of the season, picked up his second straight victory with Thursday’s complete game. Jamison allowed just two runs on seven hits in the game.

Jeff McLaughlin (4-3) also threw a complete game for Fargo but wound up with the loss after giving up seven runs, six earned, on nine hits in his eight innings of work.

Both of the RedHawks runs came early as they scored twice in the first inning before Jamison shut them down the rest of the way. Joe Mathis and Brent Krause both reached base to lead off the game before Ruben Salazar drove in a run with an RBI groundout and Harry Berrios picked up an RBI single to make it 2-0.

Calgary responded with one run in the bottom of the first to quickly narrow the gap. Drew Miller walked to lead things off and advanced to third on a single by Darryl Brinkley, he then came in to score on an Aaron McEachran base hit that made it 2-1.

The Vipers then struck for three more runs in the bottom of the third inning to move ahead in the game. Three straight hits to start off the inning got the offence going. After Brinkley led off with a single, Sharnol Adriana and Carlos Duncan hit back-to-back RBI doubles to make it 3-2. Duncan then scored on a Nelson Castro double-play ball to put Calgary up 4-2.

Three straight walks by McLaughlin to start off the bottom of the fifth inning set the table for the Vipers to extend their lead. Adriana came in to score on an infield fly that was dropped by RedHawks second baseman Craig Ringe and Duncan scored on a Brandon Rogers sacrifice fly to make it 6-2.

Jamison cruised along the rest of the way to make the lead stand up. The RedHawks didn’t get a base runner past second after the fourth inning.

Calgary tacked on one more run in the bottom of the eighth on an RBI double by Miller that scored Brandon Rogers to make it 7-2.

With the win the Vipers improve to 22-23 in the second half of the season and they will now prepare to finish off the season with a series against the Winnipeg Goldeyes beginning on Friday night at Foothills Stadium. Calgary has a chance to play spoiler over the weekend as the Goldeyes are in the hunt for a Northern League wild card playoff spot.