Flyers 11, Vipers 15

BLOWN HOMERUN CALL KICK-STARTS CALGARY RALLY
Vipers score nine runs over seventh and eighth innings

CALGARY, Alberta (June 5, 2010) – In a game featuring daffy base-running and confusing calls, the Vipers got the best of the Flyers, 15-11, on Saturday night at Foothills Stadium. Orange County fell to 6-6 on the season.

With Orange County leading 10-6 in the bottom of the seventh and runners on first and second, Drew Miller knocked a ball off the outfield wall and umpire Jamie Dambois signaled homerun. One runner scored from second on the play, but Julio Ramirez, the runner on first was tagged out sliding into home, unaware of the inadvertent HR signal, prompting an out signal from home plate ump John Deluca. Vipers manager Morgan Burkhart argued the call, and Ramirez was put back on third, prompting an argument from Flyers manager Paul Abbott leading to his ejection. With runners on second and third now, Kevin Price hit a three-run homerun to tie the game, 10-10, and capture momentum.

Keith Ginter led off the top of the eighth with a double and scored on a Tyler Keeble single to give Orange County the 11-10 advantage. The Vipers struck for five runs in the bottom of the eighth inning, highlighted by a three-run homerun by Julio Ramirez, for a 15-11 lead.

The Flyers broke open a 6-6 ballgame with a three-run sixth inning thanks to crafty cat-and-mouse base running and a two-run sacrifice fly from Ben Johnson. On a Jimmy Rohan ground ball, the Vipers tried to throw home to get the runner Jim Geothals from third. Goethals retreated back to the bag where Steve Boggs was occupying the base. As the Vipers went to tag Goethals, Boggs got off the base and headed back for second base. When Calgary threw to second to tag a runner, Goethals again broke for home, prompting a throw to the plate. In the end, Calgary was unable to tag any runners out, and everyone was safe.

One batter later, Johnson’s sac fly scored two, and Ginter drove in an extra run for the 9-6 lead after six innings.

Julian Benavidez singled home Johnson beginning a string of eight straight batters to safely reach base. Tyler Keeble singled, and Kyle Hash drew a walk to load the bases. Vipers starter Joe Sergent walked Kim to score Benavidez. Steve Boggs knocked a two-run single, and after a David Harris single, Jimmy Rohan added his own two-run base hit. When the dust settled, the Flyers chased Sergent from the game after 1 2/3 innings and six runs scoring.

The Vipers got back into the ballgame with six runs off Byung-Hyun Kim, who hadn’t allowed a hit through three innings, over the fourth and fifth innings. Kim finished the night giving up six runs on five hits while walking four and striking out three in 4 1/3 innings of work.

Box Score: http://www.pointstreak.com/baseball/flash/index.html?gameid=12678