OTTAWA – Day 1 wrapped up on Thursday night with both hosts being victorious. A total of 10 games were played at the Midget Championship while six games were played at the Junior Championship. Day 2 sees more of the same.
Junior Championship
Saskatchewan 5 Newfoundland and Labrador 1
Saskatchewan took advantage of some questionable defense as all five of their runs were unearned, leading to the four run victory over Newfoundland and Labrador. Catcher Scott Mostoway (Saskatoon, SK) scored three of his teams runs and was also strong behind the plate. Pitcher Giles Virgin (Regina, SK) struck out 12 batters over six innings to earn the win.
Québec 5 Nova Scotia 1
This game was turning into a battle between starting pitchers until Québec broke a scoreless tie with four runs in the bottom of the fifth inning off Samuel Groleau’s one out grand slam. Simon Brisbois (Mascouche, QC) relieved starter Roberton Zapata (Brossard, QC) after the fifth inning and shut Nova Scotia down to help his team pick up the win.
Trois-Rivières 11 BC 1
The hosts came swinging right out of the gate with five runs in the opening frame en route to the 11-1 victory. Four players had at least to hits for Three Rivers, led by Miguel Comtois’ three. Starter Dany Paradis (Levis, QC) lasted 5 1/3 innings, striking out nine batters in the process.
Midget Championship
BC 6 Québec 3
A four run outburst in the top of the fourth inning helped lead BC to an eventual 6-3 victory over Québec. Both teams were sluggish to begin the tournament as they committed four errors each that led to unearned runs for both sides. As well, both offenses were led by a well-balanced attack as different players scored all nine runs in the game. Pitcher Brandon Kirk (Richmond, BC) pitched two scoreless innings to earn the win.
Manitoba 3 Newfoundland and Labrador 2
Derek Millar (Oak Bluff, MB) broke a late 2-2 tie in the bottom of the sixth inning when he scored on a balk, and Eric Benson (Oak Bluff, MB) went the distance to defeat Newfoundland and Labrador by a count of 3-2. Millar singled with one and eventually found his way to third base when the balk was called allowing him to score. Leadoff hitter Jay Warford (Corner Brook, NL) had two hits and an RBI in the loss.
Alberta 10 Nova Scotia 9
Roberto Valdez (Chestermere, AB) saved his best hit for last, driving in the game-winning run with a two out single in the seventh inning. The hit capped off a perfect day at the plate for Valdez, who finished the game 3/3 with three RBI and two runs scored. Brayden MacQuarrie (Sackville, NS) had three hits and two RBI for Nova Scotia.
Québec City 2 Saskatchewan 0
While it was at times a grind, three Québec City pitchers combined to shut down the Saskatchewan offense by a 2-0 score. Overall, Québec City stranded eleven base runners while holding their opponents to only three hits in the game. David Glaude (Québec, QC) picked up the win for his team.
Reminder: Day 2 action for both tournaments can be followed LIVE via Pointstreak.
