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DUNEDIN, Florida- The Junior National Team headed down Interstate 4 today for their annual match-up with prospects from the Toronto Blue Jays organization.
Coming off a big win over the Atlanta Braves prospects yesterday, the juniors stayed with the Jays but eventually came out on the wrong end of a 3-1 score.
Starter Mike Soroka (Calgary, AB) allowed a leadoff single to come around and score in the bottom of the first after a failed pickoff and double steal, but he settled in afterwards blanking the Jays for two innings. His three-inning outing saw him scatter three hits and record two strikeouts.
With reliever Vincent Beauregard (Laval, QC) on the mound, the Jays scored another run in the fourth after three consecutive singles and added their third and final run in the fifth on a one-out single.
Beauregard lasted three innings and gave-up four hits and two walks to go along with one strikeout.
Offensively, the Jays’ pitchers held the juniors to only three hits with Cooper Lamb (Burlington, ON), Andrew Yerzy (Toronto, ON) and Tanner Rempel (Abbotsford, BC) each collecting singles.
In the sixth, Lamb’s fielder’s choice allowed Peter Hutzal (Calgary, AB) to score the only run the juniors would get.
Nicholas Virdo (Brampton, ON) came out of the bullpen for the seventh and eighth and tossed two scoreless innings of relief.
Both teams agreed to play the bottom of the ninth where Virdo allowed two earned runs. His three-inning line saw him allow four hits and strike out one batter.
UP NEXT: The juniors will return to play at ESPN Wide World of Sports tomorrow with the Houston Astros prospects providing the opposition with a 1pm EDT scheduled first pitch…RHP Michael Brettell (Fonthill, ON) is expected to start.
