Vipers Hold On For Victory

Published on June 8, 2008 under Golden Baseball League (GBL)
Calgary Vipers News Release


The Calgary Vipers snapped a three game losing streak with a 13-12 victory over the Yuma Scorpions at Sun Desert Stadium in Yuma, Arizona. The Snakes held the lead pretty much throughout the game including 12-5 in the bottom of the eighth inning but had to claw to hang on for the one run win. Calgary is now 8-5 on the season and remain in first place in the North Division by two and a half games.

Calgary wasted little time getting on the scoreboard with Travis Drader leading off with a walk and Jorge Mejia reaching on catcher's interference for Darryl Brinkley who plated a run with a RBI base hit. Jose Morban and Felix Jose both picked up runs batted in with a groundout and single respectively for the 3-0 lead.

Mejia hit his second homerun in as many nights to make the score 4-0 in the top of the third inning.

The Scorpions responded in the bottom of the fourth inning when Rich Janeway reached on a fly ball double that was lost in the lights by the centerfielder Colin Moro and Maikel Jova followed with a two run shot to cut the lead in half. Jeremy Cleveland followed with a single and Yosvany Almario and Hector Bernal picked up the runs batted in with a triple and a single to tie the game at four.

The Vipers put up their own four spot in the top of the sixth starting with a Mejia single, steal of second, and a Brinkley RBI single. Morban followed with his fourth homerun of the season and with still nobody out Jose singled, Nelson Castro walked, Drew Miller laid down a sacrifice bunt, and Patrick Arlis cashed a run with a sacrifice fly for the 8-4 advantage.

Cleveland picked up a bloop single in the bottom of the inning and after Almario reached on a fielder's, Hamzel Diaz knocked in a run with a double.

Back-to-back homeruns extended the Snakes' lead in the top of the seventh inning. Mejia continued his great game with a double and Brinkley smashed his third homerun of the season. Morban followed with his own solo shot for the 11-5 lead. Morban hit homeruns in back-to-back innings and from both sides of the plate for the switch hitter.

Another run was added in the top of the eighth inning with a Moro walk, a Drader groundout to move Moro into scoring position, and a Mejia RBI single who finished the game four-for-four with four runs scored and two batted in.

Yuma made it a game in the bottom of the inning starting with Jova's second homerun of the game. Cleveland and Bernal singled and Diaz plated a run with a double. Bernal was then thrown out at the plate trying to score on a wild pitch and Ryan Barba reached on a fly ball dropped by Moro for an error, to extend the inning and score Diaz. A.J. Valentine walked and Henry Calderon was hit by a pitch for Janeway who cashed two with a single to cut the lead down to 12-10.

An insurance run was added by the Vipers in the top of the ninth with a Jose walk and he was replaced by Jorge Tang for a pinch runner. Tang reached second base on a Castro groundout after a controversial safe call at second base on an attempted double play. From there Tang scored on a Miller RBI triple.

That run ended up being very important as in the bottom of the ninth inning Almario singled, Bernal reached on a fielder's choice and Diaz lined a RBI triple and scored on a throwing error by Mejia to bring the Scorpions within one run at 13-12.

Calgary started Jordy Alexander (2-1) picked up the victory thanks to going six innings and not walking a batter. Ryan McGrath (0-1) recieved his first loss of the year while Vipers' Ryan Olson (0-0-2) picked up his second save in closing out the game.

Sunday at 7:00 PM (MDT) the three game series will wrap up with Golden Baseball League Pitcher of the Week Evan Greusel (2-0) starting in the rubber match taking place in El Centro, California.

Two teams never before seen in Calgary will then head in for the next home stand. The St. George Roadrunners with former Chicago White Sox infielder Liu Rodriguez will be here June 11, 12 and 13 with all games starting at 7:05 PM (MDT). Then the defending champion Chico Outlaws hit town. Friday, June 13th it's an afternoon "Skip out of Work" special so fans can watch both the Vipers at 2:35 PM (MDT) and then the Stamps exhibition game. On Saturday June 14th at 5:05 PM (MDT) it's Ripley's Believe It or Not Day at Foothills Stadium. A full contingent from the famous tourist attraction will be in Calgary to take possession of the 10 bats acquired in the Odom trade and to present the check to the Vipers Children's Charity. On Sunday, June 15th at 1:35 PM (MDT) it's the Vipers Father's Day Extravaganza. Hall of Famer Gary Carter will be the Vipers special guest to throw out the first pitch and sign autographs. The Calgary Minor Softball Association will be holding their Opening ceremonies following the game and will be out in full force. The Vipers will be teaming with PharmaChoice Drug Stores and the Calgary Prostate Society to raise awareness for prostate cancer treatments. And the Vipers will be helping to launch the new Warner Brothers movie "Get Smart" with Agent 99 and Maxwell Smart making a special appearance. Tickets can be ordered by calling 277-BALL (2255).

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Golden Baseball League Stories from June 8, 2008


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