GUANUMA – The Junior National Team were shut down for most of game one against the Seattle Mariners, but were able to capitalize on key errors by the Milwaukee Brewers in game two on route to splitting their doubleheader with the two clubs by a score of 9-1 and 10-8 respectively in the Dominican Summer League Camp.
In game one, the JNT got on the board immediately in the top of the first inning. Keenan Chanin (Surrey, BC) drew a leadoff walk and advanced to second on a two-out single by Dalton Pompey (Mississauga, ON). A wild pitch and an error would allow Chanin to score a put Canada up 1-0.
That would be the only offence the JNT would produce in this game as the Mariners started taking control of the game in the fourth. A two-run home run against starter Evan Grills (Whitby, ON) gave the Mariners a 2-1 lead. Later on in the fourth, an error led to another run and Seattle took a two run lead.
Another error in the fifth would cost the JNT as the Mariners fourth run of the game would cross. Grills’ day would end after the fifth. He allowed four run, two earned, on six hits and two walks with four strikeouts in five innings of work.
Another two-run homer, this time off of Nick Pivetta (Victoria, BC) in the seventh increased the Mariners lead to 6-1.
A double and a walk put runners on first and second with one out in the eighth for the Mariners. Then a sacrifice fly and a base hit drove in two more runs and the Mainers carried an 8-1 lead.
The Mariners produced their final run of the game in the ninth on a two-out double, followed by an RBI single for an eight run advantage.
One bright spot for the Canadians was Pompey, who went 2-for-3 in the game versus the Mariners.
In game two, it was a comedy of errors as both the JNT and the Brewers would combine to commit nine errors in the game, five by the JNT and four by the Brewers.
The JNT opened the scoring in the third inning. Chris Robinson (Uxbridge, ON) reached on a single and later came in to score on a fielder’s choice from Emmanuel Forcier (St-Hyacinthe, QC) to take a 1-0 lead.
The Brewers however would take advantage of two Canadian errors in the bottom of the fourth, which led to three runs and the Brewers taking a 3-1 lead.
But the JNT would retake the lead in the top of the fifth with the help of an error, an RBI ground out from Jimmy Ralph (Raymond, AB) and a two-run double from Brandon Dailey (Brantford, ON) to score three and take a 4-3 lead.
The Brewers however bounced right back in the bottom half of the frame with a leadoff double, an error and a two-run single to retake the lead 5-4.
The JNT responded in kind in the top of the sixth as Justin Atkinson (Surrey, BC) was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to drive in a run. Then Jalen Harris (Toronto, ON) hit into a fielder’s choice to drive in another run, then an error allowed a third run to score and the Canadians retook the lead 7-5.
The JNT added to the lead in the seventh when Forcier, who had walked to lead off the inning, came in to score on a wild pitch and put Canada up by three.
The lead kept growing in the eighth as Philip Diedrick (Ajax, ON) and Chanin both drew walks to lead off the frame and both would cross the plate, Diedrick on an error and Chanin on a wild pitch to give the Canadians a five run advantage.
The Brewers would cut the deficit to two in the bottom of the eighth as a pair of errors, followed by a pair of RBI singles drove in three runs to make it 10-8, but that is as close as they would get.
Jonathan Paquet (Ancienne Lorette, QC), who started on the mound for game two, allowed five runs but none were earned. He gave up six hits and three walks while striking out six in five innings of work.
Next up for the Junior National Team is a trip to Boca Chica where they will take on the Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday, May 22 at 11 AM. Jesen Therrien (Montreal, QC) is scheduled to start on the mound for the JNT.
