JNT – 10 Tampa Bay Rays - 8
In Guerra, Justin Marra (Toronto, ON) hit a two-out, bases loaded double in the top of the 8th that scored three runs to break a 7-7 tie, as the Junior National Team went on to defeat the Tampa Bay Rays Dominican prospects 10-8.
The game saw the JNT collect nine hits while the Rays had fifteen.
The Juniors opened the scoring in the top of the 1st when Justin Atkinson (Surrey, BC) hit a sacrifice fly with one out that scored a tagging Jacob Robson (Windsor, ON) from third base. Robson had led-off the inning with a single, advanced to second on a ground-out and took third on a wild-pitch.
The Rays were quick to answer back as they plated three runs in the home half of the 2nd inning off JNT starter, Clayton Isherwood (Van Anda, BC). After a lead-off double, Isherwood managed to strikeout the next two batters before giving up another double and two singles to give the Rays a two run cushion.
Aside from the three runs, Isherwood turned in a quality performance, spanning four innings which included five strikeouts.
The Juniors would get one of the runs back in the 5th when Bryan Saucedo (Toronto, ON) singled home Brendan Hendriks (Cochrane, AB) from second base.
A two-run homerun in the bottom of the inning off Logan Seifrit (Spruce Grove, AB) gave the Rays a three-run lead.
In the 6th, with runners on second and third, Dustin Houle (Penticton, BC) hit a double that scored both runners and brought his team to within one run of the lead; however the Rays managed to put up two runs of their own in the bottom of the frame as a game of cat and mouse ensued.
The Juniors would cut the lead to one again, this time courtesy of a Bryan Saucedo two-run homer in the 7th. The two run shot came with two out after Hendriks reached, after he was hit by a pitch.
Seifrit threw a clean inning in the Rays half of the 7th which allowed his team to get back on the offensive where they proceeded to score four runs for a 10-7 lead.
With one run already in, Marra’s double with the bases loaded, scored three runs. The earlier run came when Houle was hit by a pitch, also with the bases full, giving him three RBI on the game.
Pitcher Adam Anderson (Georgetown, ON) made his JNT debut in the bottom of the 8th and threw two innings, giving up one run on three hits, while striking out five.
San Francisco Giants – 4 JNT – 2
At Boca Chica, the San Francisco Giants Dominican Summer League club built up a four-run lead through 6 innings as they went on to beat the Junior National Team 4-2.
The Giants opened the scoring in the bottom of the 3rd when JNT starter Jake Hansen (Fort Macleod, AB) hit the first batter of the inning, who then stole second and third base and scored on a fielder’s choice.
The run was the lone blemish of Hansen’s day as he tossed three innings of one hit ball, giving up three walks while striking out six Giants.
The Juniors missed an opportunity to get on the scoreboard in the 4th as Jacob Robson and Kyle Hann (Oakville, ON) each singled with one out, but were unable to score.
Roberto Suppa (Connor, ON) relieved Hansen in the 4th and the Giants got to him quick as the first batter he faced took him deep for a solo homerun and a 2-0 Giants lead.
Suppa didn’t do himself any favours in the 5th as he gave up a single, hit a batter and unleashed two wild-pitches which scored two runs for the Giants putting them ahead by four.
In the 7th, with Jerod Bartnik (Surrey, BC) standing on second base, Justin Atkinson hit a single with two out to score Bartnik and break the shutout.
Matt Trimble (Coquitlam, BC) took the mound in the 6th and was stellar for three innings as he gave up only one hit and struck out three while keeping the Giants off the scoreboard.
Chris Shaw (Winnipeg, MB) tried to spark his club in the top of the 9th as he hit a solo homerun with two out before the Giants retired the final batter of the game.
Notes: The Dominican Summer League Camp is an important step in the process as the JNT will attempt to qualify for the 2012 World Junior Baseball Championship (scheduled for Seoul, South Korea) at the Americas World Junior Qualification Tournament in Cartagena, Colombia from September 23rd - October 2nd, 2011… For more information on the JNT program, please click here.
