PRINCE GEORGE – Team Canada’s offence once again flexed its muscle at the World Baseball Challenge, collecting double digit hits for the second consecutive game on their way to a 9-3 win over Germany.
Canada clubbed 11 hits in the game, three of them off the bat of Jordan Padrinao, who was 3-for-4 with a double and two RBI.
With the win, Canada remains in a three way tie for first place with Team BC and the USA National Team. All three teams have identical 3-1 records.
Canada opened the scoring in the bottom of the second when Nic Lendvoy drove in Junior Nicholls, who had doubled to lead off the inning, to put Canada on the board. Lendvoy would later score on the RBI single of Greg Densem to give Canada an early 2-0 lead.
Canada added a pair of runs in the third inning. Nicholls got his first of three RBIs on the day with a sacrifice fly, driving in Greg Wallace. Kevin Atkinson, who was on second, tagged to go to third, and a throwing error by Cedric Bassel allowed him to score and make it 4-0 for Canada.
The Canadians would double that lead in the fourth. With the bases loaded and one out, Atkinson slapped a double in the gap to drive in Densem and Sammie Starr. Nicholls hit his second sac fly of the game, bringing around Wallace for the third run of the frame and Atkinson would score on the Padrinao single for an 8-0 lead.
That was more than enough for Canadian starter Matt Bannister. The 6’8” right hander threw six innings allowing two runs, both coming in the sixth inning, on three hits and three walks with five strikeouts.
With Canada leading 8-2 in the bottom of the sixth, Canada would score their ninth run on an RBI single from Padrinao, scoring Starr from third to put the Canadians up by seven.
The Germans would score one run in the top of the seventh off Canadian reliever Shawn Hetherington, but that would be all they would get off of the 6’7” righty. Hetherington allowed one run on two hits, walked one and struck out two in two innings of work.
Keith Grills worked a scoreless ninth, allowing one hit, to seal the victory for Canada.
Team Canada will try to extend their winning streak to three when they take on the Prince George Axemen on Thursday, July 23 at 7 PM PT. To follow the tournament as it happens, go to http://livestream.com/worldbaseball or visit the 2009 World Baseball Challenge website at www.worldbaseball.ca.
