BOCA CHICA – A back and forth game one saw the Junior National Team and the Tampa Bay Rays play to a 6-6 draw, but the San Francisco Giants chipped away and earned an 8-1 victory over the JNT in game two at the Dominican Summer League Camp.
In game one, the offence got things started in the top of the second inning. Dalton Pompey (Mississauga, ON) drew a leadoff walk and would steal second to put himself in scoring position. Now on third with one out, Pompey came in to score on an Alex Calbick (Burnaby, BC) ground out and take a 1-0 lead.
But the Rays would respond immediately in the bottom half of the second with a pair of RBI singles to take an early 2-1 lead.
The JNT bats stormed out in the third inning. Jimmy Ralph (Raymond, AB) led off with a bunt single and would come around to score on the RBI single from Emmanuel Forcier (St-Hyacinthe, QC). After Keenan Chanin (Surrey, BC) and Kellin Deglan (Langley, BC) drew walks to load the bases, Pompey cleared them with a three-run double and the Canadians took a 5-2 lead.
The Rays would cut that deficit to two in the bottom of the fifth when a double, a single and a wild pitch allowed a run to score to make it 5-3.
The end of the fifth would conclude the day for JNT starter Nick Pivetta (Victoria, BC), who allowed three runs, two earned, on five hits and one walk in five innings of work. He would also strikeout five in his first appearance with the JNT since the fall camp.
Tanner Spencer (Craik, SK) came in relief of Pivetta in the sixth and was welcomed by giving up three runs in the frame to an RBI single and a two-run triple to put the Rays ahead 6-5.
Spencer would settle down from there, pitching two scoreless innings from that point forward. In all, he threw three innings, allowed three runs on four hits and three walks.
The Canadian offence would help out Spencer in the seventh as Ralph hit a leadoff double and would come around to score on the RBI single from Forcier to tie the game 6-6.
Brian Bardis (St-Constant, QC) threw a perfect ninth to preserve the tie.
In game two, it was a different story for the JNT. The Giants got on the board right away in the first inning by scoring a pair of runs to take an early 2-0 lead.
The lead grew to three in the fourth inning after JNT starter Vaughn Covington (Vancouver, BC) hit a batter who would steal second and third and would come across on an RBI single.
An RBI double in the fifth inning put the Giants ahead 4-0 and Covington would end his day after 5-2/3 innings. He allowed four runs, two earned, on five hits and four walks while striking out four.
The JNT put their one and only run of the game on the board in the seventh inning when Rowan Wick (North Vancouver, BC) hit an RBI single, driving in Brandon Dailey (Brantford, ON) to make it 4-1.
But the Giants would get that run back in the bottom of the seventh when Jordan Romano (Markham, ON) was called for a balk, putting a runner on second, allowing for a single to bring home the runner and give the Giants a 5-1 lead.
They would put the final nail in the coffin in the eighth inning by bringing across three runs thanks to an RBI ground out, a wild pitch and an RBI double.
Next up for the Junior National Team is a matchup with the New York Yankees on Tuesday, May 25 at 11 AM in Boca Chica. Mike Ellis (Surrey, BC) is scheduled to take the mound for the Canadians.
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