The Calgary Vipers got a complete game seven-hitter from starter Ryan Jamison and home runs from both Nelson Castro and Darryl Brinkley as they claimed a 7-2 victory over the Winnipeg Goldeyes on Friday night.
Brinkley's home run kicked off a six-run fifth inning for the Vipers that blew open a tight 2-1 ballgame and gave Calgary the win. Brinkley, Sharnol Adriana, Drew Miller and Jason Colson all drove in runs in the fifth to lead the Viper attack.
With the complete game effort, Jamison (1-2) earned the win for Calgary, scattering seven hits and allowing just two runs. Jamison needed just 88 pitches to pick up the win and didn't walk a batter in the contest.
Tony Evans (4-3) took the loss for Winnipeg after giving up seven runs on eight hits in just over four innings of work.
Nelson Castro opened the scoring for the Vipers in the top of the third inning when he drove a hanging curveball from Evans over the left field wall for his fifth home run of the season to put Calgary up 1-0.
The Goldeyes replied in the bottom of the fourth inning when Will Smith hit a two-run homer off Jamison with Jimmy Hurst on second base to put Winnipeg ahead 2-1.
The long-balls continued in the top of the fifth inning as Darryl Brinkley started the fifth inning rally and got the Vipers back on even terms with a solo blast off Evans to make it 2-2.
Castro then doubled and Aaron McEachran walked to put runners on first and second before Adriana put Calgary back in the lead with an RBI single that scored Castro from second base.
Miller extended the lead to 5-2 with a two-run double that bounced off the wall in center field and scored both McEachran and Adriana. After Carlos Duncan drew a walk to keep the inning going, Jason Colson capped things off with a two-run single that put Calgary up by five.
The six run fifth inning provided all the insurance that the Vipers would need as Jamison cruised along the rest of the way, retiring 15 of the last 18 Winnipeg hitters.
With the win, the Vipers improve to 18-20 in the second half while the Goldeyes drop to 19-20. Calgary and Winnipeg will continue their three-game weekend series on Saturday night in Winnipeg with Evan Greusel (7-2) going up against Josh Beshears (9-4) in the pitching match up.
