09/02/2005 11:22 PM - A four-run sixth inning broke the game open for the Calgary Vipers, who went on to defeat the Kansas City T-Bones in the series opener, 9-2, at Foothills Stadium in Calgary, Alberta, Canada on Friday night. Former Royal Dan Reichert (W, 3-2) picked up the win for the Vipers, allowing just two runs on nine hits in seven innings of work.

The T-Bones had scored twice in the top of the sixth to make it 4-2, with Chad Sosebee's RBI double scoring Brandon Jones and Matt Ceriani's RBI groundout scoring Sosebee. Sosebee was 3-for-4 in the game and was just a homer short of the cycle.

Calgary sent T-Bone starter David Viane to the showers in the top of the sixth, with Juan Thomas' two-run homer to deep left-center field the last pitch Viane would throw in the game. Viane (L, 8-7) allowed eight runs, seven earned, in 5 2/3 innings in his final start of the season.

The Vipers had taken a 4-0 lead in the game after four innings, with the second Calgary run coming unearned in the third after two errant pickoff throws by Viane and a fielding error by third baseman Brandon Jones. Two RBI singles in the fourth inning by number nine batter Neesan Zieour and leadoff man Pedro Santana gave the T-Bones a deficit they would not overcome.

Zieour drove in two runs with three hits from the number nine spot, while Drew Miller smacked three hits in the seventh spot in the order for Calgary.

The T-Bones and Vipers play at 8:05 CT in the second game of the series tomorrow night, with Jonathan Krysa (5-11) taking on Viper starter Doug Johnson (7-4). The game can be heard on KCKN 1340 AM as well as www.tbonesbaseball.com.