BOCA CHICA, Dominican Republic – The Junior National Team dropped both ends of a doubleheader, their first of four on the Dominican Summer League tour, losing the front end, 7-4, to the Chicago Cubs before falling 8-4 to the Yankees in the afternoon.
The juniors struggled to get much going offensively collecting just nine hits combined on the day and committed seven errors against the Yankees.
Their record now sits at 0-3 with ten games remaining on the tour.
GAME ONE INFORMATION
Score: DSL Cubs 7 Canada (U-18) 4
Location: Chicago Cubs Dominican Complex – La Gina, DR
Weather: 29 degrees Celsius, Partly cloudy
Canada 18U Starting Lineup:
1. Cooper Davis - CF
2. Adam Hall - DH
3. Noah Naylor – 3B
4. Clayton Keyes - DH
5. Edouard Julien – 2B
6. Jason Willow - LF
7. Dondrae Bremner – EH
8. Denzel Clarke – RF
9. Rhys Cratty - LF
10. Victor Cerny - C
11. Damiano Palmegiani – 1B
Starting Pitcher: LHP Wesley Moore
HOW IT HAPPENED
-Things didn’t start well for starter Wesley Moore (Surrey, BC) and the Junior National Team as the Cubs scored four runs in the bottom of the first. A double to left plated the first run of the game before two more hits plus a throwing error led to three more.
-The juniors answered back in the top of the second and it was Jason Willow (Victoria, BC) who came up with a RBI groundout to score Clayton Keyes (Calgary, AB) from third base. Keyes had led off with a walk before moving to second on a wild pitch before advancing to third on an Edouard Julien (Québec, QC) single to left. Julien was later caught stealing.
-The Cubs added to their lead in the third using a one out double to the gap in left and stolen base to put a runner on third before a sac fly to centre scored the run.
-A one out, solo home run that left the ball park over the left field fence gave the Cubs a 6-1 lead after four innings.
-The juniors fought their way back into the game in the fifth plating three runs to come to within two. Edouard Julien walked, Jason Willow singled and Dondrae Bremner (Toronto, ON) walked to load the bases before Rhys Cratty walked to score one. Victor Cerny (Winnipeg, MB) then lined a pitch into left field that allowed both Willow and Bremner to score.
-With two out in the fifth, Moore hit a batter before a single put runners on first and second. A ball that was hit to the wall in left scored one before a 7-6-2 relay nabbed the runner at home plate.
JNT HIGHLIGHTS
-A rare 7-6-3 double play was executed by the Junior National Team to end the second inning. With a runner on first and one out, left fielder Rhys Cratty (Langley, BC) made a nice running catch before firing to Jason Willow at shortstop who made a nice relay throw to first base to double the runner off.
-Reliever Austin Brown (Powell River, BC) provided three innings of scoreless relief that included three strikeouts.
-Victor Cerny accounted for two of the Junior National Team’s five hits with a pair of singles.
-The Cubs will have two teams in the Dominican Summer League this season.
TEAM LEADERS
Hits: 2, Cerny (2/4); 1, Hall (1/3), Julien (1/2), Willow (1/3)
Runs: 1, Keyes, Julien, Willow, Bremner
RBIs: 2, Cerny; 1, Willow
Stolen Bases: 1, Keyes, Willow
Strikeouts: 4, Moore; 3, Brown
GAME TWO INFORMATION
Score: DSL Yankees 8 Canada (U-18) 4
Location: Billy Martin Field – Boca Chica, DR
Weather: 26 degrees Celsius, Mostly cloudy
Canada 18U Starting Lineup:
1. Cooper Davis - CF
2. Adam Hall - SS
3. Noah Naylor – C
4. Clayton Keyes - RF
5. Edouard Julien – 2B
6. Jason Willow – 3B
7. Dondrae Bremner – DH
8. Michael Stovman 1B
9. Archer Brookman - DH
10. Lucas Parente - LF
Starting Pitcher: RHP Landon Leach
HOW IT HAPPENED
-Two errors in the bottom of the first led to a Yankees run scoring on a wild pitch before double to right brought in another as the juniors fell into an early 2-0 hole.
-The juniors took the lead after striking for four runs in the fourth. With the bases loaded and one out, Dondrae Bremner (Toronto, ON) bounced into a fielder’s choice to bring in one run before Michael Stovman (Maple Ridge, BC) ripped a single to centre to cash in another. Archer Brookman (Montréal, QC) then stepped to the plate a drilled a triple on a ball that got over the centre fielder’s head and rolled to the wall. Bremner and Stovman both scored on the play.
-The lead was short-lived as the Yankees jumped back in front with a three run fifth. Leach got into trouble issuing a pair of walks before a single to centre brought in one run. With two out, a misplayed ball at first base brought in the tying run and advanced a runner to third who later scored on a wild pitch. Leach was removed from the game for Griffin Hassall (Newmarket, ON) who recorded the last out of the inning with a strikeout.
-Hassall recorded two quick outs in the sixth before allowing back-to-back infield singles. On the second single, Edouard Julien knocked the ball down but threw wildly to third trying to nab the advancing runner who was able to score on the overthrow.
-The Yankees rounded out their scoring with two more runs in the eighth coming on a RBI single and a throwing error, the Junior National Team’s seventh of the game.
JNT HIGHLIGHTS
-Brookman’s triple was hit on a 2-1 pitch and got over the centerfielder’s head in a hurry. With two runs already scored on the play, Brookman dove headfirst into third base to beat the throw from the outfield.
-The Yankees threatened in the fifth with a runner on third after a lead off triple, but the juniors caught a break after the runner broke for home on a groundball to third baseman Jason Willow who threw to catcher Noah Naylor (Mississauga, ON) to apply the tag. Adam Hall (London, ON) made a tremendous play at shortstop for the third out as he ranged to his left, spun and fired a strike to first on a groundball up the middle.
-Reliever Griffin Hassall managed six strikeouts over three and one-third innings on the mound, while allowing one earned run.
TEAM LEADERS
Hits: 1, Naylor (1/3), Parente (1/3), Stovman (1/3), Brookman (1/2)
Doubles: 1, Naylor
Triples: 1, Brookman
Runs: 1, Naylor, Keyes, Bremner, Stovman
RBIs: 2, Brookman; 1, Bremner, Stovman
Stolen Bases: 1, Parente
Strikeouts: 6, Hassall; 2, Leach
UP NEXT
The juniors will travel back to Boca Chica tomorrow morning for a 10:30am ET game against the Philadelphia Phillies at their newly opened complex...LHP Jack DeCooman (North Vancouver, BC) is slated to start on the mound…You can get live updates by following @Team_C_Updates on Twitter.
