ST.PETERSBURG, Fla. -The Atlanta Braves prospects travelled nearly two hours from their spring training home in Lake Buena Vista, sat through a rain storm that delayed the first pitch by an hour, and when the game started proceeded to dominate the Junior National Team to the tune of a 10-0 victory.
After taking a 1-0 lead in the top of the first, the juniors ran into some tough luck in the second when a questionable call was made that ended up going for a three-run homer.
The ball, hit down the left field line and out of the stadium, was ruled fair by the home plate umpire much to the shock of the Canadian dugout.
Manager Greg Hamilton came out of the dugout for a brief conversation with the umpire, but the call stood and the juniors were down by four before the second inning was over.
Starter Kurtis Horne (Sooke, BC) went two innings and gave up four runs on four hits and one walk before giving way to Jackson Wark (St. Albert, AB).
Wark struggled early with his control issuing three walks in the third and it came around to hurt him as a bases clearing triple put the Braves up by seven before a sac-fly made the score 8-0 after two and a half innings.
Offensively the juniors were held at bay for most of the game collecting only four hits, while striking out ten times. Five Braves pitchers combined to walk only one batter.
Gareth Morgan (Toronto, ON) hit a two out double to right-centre in the first inning, while Lucas Zilli (Toronto, ON) went 2-for-2 with two singles.
Robert Byckowski (Etobicoke, ON) had the other JNT hit singling in the fifth.
Matt Lloyd (Okotoks, AB) came out of the bullpen for the fourth inning and managed to blank the Braves for two innings before he gave up two runs in the sixth.
Colton Wood (Victoria, BC) and Mike Soroka (Calgary, AB) kept the Braves off the scoreboard for the remainder of the game with Wood tossing two innings and Sorka one.
Up next: The Junior National Team will take-on St. Petersburg Junior College under the lights at Al Lang Field tomorrow at 7:05pm ET…Isaac Anesty (Guelph, ON) is expected to start with Brad Smith (Vancouver, BC), Kristjan Storrie (Langley, BC) and Mitch Bigras (Sarnia, ON) scheduled to follow.
Listen Live: Can’t make it to the game? No problem! You can listen to all Junior National Team Spring Training games live by visiting radiostpete.com.
Tickets: For more information on the series, visit stpeteinternationalbaseball.com. All game tickets are $10 (General Admission only) and are available in advance at the St. Petersburg Museum of History or online at SPMOH.com. Tickets can also be purchased at the Al Lang Field Box Office.
Twitter: @baseballcanada I @Team_C_Updates
