Comebacks Fall Short

Published on May 22, 2009 under Golden Baseball League (GBL)
Calgary Vipers News Release


After trailing by five runs the Calgary Vipers got within one run twice but could not tie the game and lost 10-9 to the Long Beach Armada at Foothills Stadium in Calgary, Alberta. Calgary fell behind 6-1 after an inning and a half but made it 7-6 in the bottom of the sixth and 10-9 in the bottom of the ninth but both times left men on base. The defining moment of the game may have came in that bottom of the sixth when with runners at second and third base Nelson Castro was picked off third to end the inning. With the Snakes loss the four-game series between the two teams is now split.

At the plate for the Vipers Fehlandt Lentini, Jorge Mejia, Carlos Duncan, and Rick Guarno all had big games. Lentini went three-for-five with a homerun, two doubles, three runs scored, and two batted in. Mejia was three-for-five with four runs batted in, Duncan also went three-for-five, and Guarno was two-for-five with a homerun, three batted in, and two scored.

A slow start led to Evan Greusel (0-1) being saddled with the loss after giving up seven runs, six earned, in the first three innings but he did settle down to post three scoreless innings and retiring ten of the final 12 batters he faced. Juan Jimenez (1-0) entered the game in the fifth inning and despite giving up a run in an inning and a third he recorded the victory. Reggie Rivard threw two-thirds of an inning scoreless while striking out one and Jon Huizinga also went two-thirds of an inning and struck out both batters he faced on only eight pitches.

After not scoring the night before the Armada wasted little time tonight in the top of the first inning as Josh Womack doubled and scored on a Omar Bramasco single. Casey Garrison followed by reaching on a fielder's choice where Mejia dropped the ball at second base for an error to keep Bramasco on the base paths. Clean-up batter Chad Miller stepped up and hit a three run shot over the centerfield wall for the 4-0 lead.

Calgary got a run back in the bottom of the frame for a 4-1 score as Lentini walked, reached second base on a wild pitch, and scored on a Mejia run batted in single.

Long Beach responded right back though in the top of the second as Steve Young and Womack singled to put runners at the corners, Womack then stole second, and both runners advanced on a Bramasco RBI sacrifice fly. Finally Garrison plated a run with a single for the 6-1 advantage.

In the bottom of the inning the scoring continued as Guarno and Colin Moro singled, Lentini doubled home one, and Mejia plated two with a triple for the 6-4 score.

The Armada got one back in the next half inning for a 7-4 lead as J.J. Sherrill doubled and scored on a ball that fell into right field off the bat of Andy Bouchie.

That run was answered in the bottom of the fourth as Lentini went yard for his first home run of the season.

In the bottom of the sixth Moro was hit by a pitch, Nelson Castro walked, and Mejia made the score 7-6 with his RBI single.

Two insurance runs were scored in the top of the eighth by Long Beach as Matt Edgecombe walked, Bouchie doubled, Young singled in a run, and Womack hit a sacrifice fly for the 9-6 score.

The eventual winning run was scored in the top of the ninth as Miller singled, moved to second on a Daryl Jones walk, and scored on a Edgecombe single for the 10-6 advantage.

In the bottom of the ninth the Snakes rallied with Duncan and Drew Miller singles, and a Guarno three-run shot for the 10-9 final.

On Saturday May 23rd at 5:05 PM MDT left-hander Dallas Mahan (0-0) toes the rubber for the Vipers against Scott Lonergan (0-0) of Long Beach. Mahan went 4-3 for Calgary last season in ten starts and also did not allow a run against in 2.2 innings of work in the 2008 playoffs. Lonergan is 25-Years-Old and has pitched the last two seasons in the Boston Red Sox organization.

Finally on Sunday May 24th at 1:35 PM MDT the four game series wraps up with Calgary newcomer Hideki Nagasaka (0-0) making his debut against left-hander Keith Ramsey (0-0). The 5'6" Nagasaka posted a 18-7 record in the last two seasons for Nashua in the Independent Can-Am league. Ramsey on the other hand has pitched the last three seasons as a starter in the Independent Atlantic League.

The Vipers welcome the Victoria Seals for their first ever three game series in Calgary on Monday May 25th, Tuesday May 26th, and Wednesday May 27th with all games starting at 7:05 PM MDT.

Tickets can be purchased over the phone at 403-277-2255 or by stopping in at the Vipers Ticket Office. All games can be heard live online at www.calgaryvipers.com.

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Golden Baseball League Stories from May 22, 2009


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