The Calgary Vipers set new franchise records for runs and hits in a game with a 16-1 win over the Winnipeg Goldeyes at Foothills Stadium in Calgary, Alberta to the enjoyment of the 1705 fans in attendance. The romp was highlighted by an eight run inning for Calgary in the third where they send 12 batters to the plate and cranked out nine hits. This game also featured four bean balls and three ejections.

 

In the bottom of the first to lead off Darryl Brinkley extended his hitting streak to 21 games with a single to right field. Nelson Castro followed with a single to left-center and Carlos Duncan plated Brinkley with an RBI groundout to make it 1-0. Jason Colson then hit a sacrifice fly to score Castro and double the lead.

 

The Vipers doubled the lead again in the second inning with Drew Miller and Jorge Tang doubling to plate Miller and Brinkley singling to score Tang making it 4-0.

 

Fireworks then went off in the third inning with the first eight batters of the inning all reaching base. Colson doubled, Mitch Evans singled and Miller knocked both in with a triple to chase Winnipeg starter Greg Bicknell from the game. New pitcher Juan Velazquez's first pitch hit Kevin Price to put him on and Tang followed with a single to score Miller. Manabu Kuramochi reached on a hit and Brinkley singled driving in two and pushing the lead to 9-0. Castro singled to score Kuramochi and to cap the inning Evans scored Brinkley on a single, and Miller scored Castro on a sacrifice fly.

 

The score was made 13-0 in the fourth inning when Castro batted in Tang with a single.

 

Winnipeg got their only run in the sixth inning on a controversial call. With the bases loaded and one out Antoin Gray sent a shot to the wall in right that Shaun Ashman, who replaced Brinkley after he was hit in the head with a fastball by Velazquez, made a fabulous catch on the warning track and then threw to second to double off Ryan Ariail. At the same time Fehlandt Lentini was tagging from third and was ruled to have crossed the plate before the third out was made on a very close play. Earlier in the inning Jimmy Hurst was tossed from the game on a 2-2 count to force Ariail, the pitcher, to bat for him. Calgary starter Kazu Minami's first pitch nailed Ariail in the back awarding him first base. In the previous inning after two inside pitches from Minami to Chris Latham, and the benches almost clearing when Brinkley was beaned in the fourth, the two teams were warned that no more throwing inside would be tolerated. However Minami after hitting Ariail was not tossed from the game and stayed in to face Walter Young who he promptly hit in the leg with the very first pitch. Minami and Calgary manager Mike Busch were tossed from the game and it was Ryan Olson who came in to get the double play off the bat of Gray.

 

The scoring in the game wrapped up in the bottom of the sixth when Ashman and Castro reached on errors and Colson knocked both in with a double. Miller capped off a four-for-four game, with two runs scored, driving in his fourth run home in Colson.

 

Minami picked up his third win off the season going five and a third giving up only four hits and the one run while striking out three. The bullpen of Olson, Randy Waite, and Geoff Freeborn combined for the final three and two thirds not allowing a single hit.

 

Brinkley, Castro, Colson, and Evans all had three hit games and at least two runs batted in a piece.

 

The Vipers are now tied for second, one game back of first place, and welcome the team they are tied with the Fargo-Moorhead Redhawks for a three game series Tuesday at 7:05 PM (MDT), Wednesday during the day at 12:35 PM (MDT), and Thursday at 7:05 PM (MDT).