WEST PALM BEACH, Florida – Denzel Clarke (Pickering, ON) had two hits and drove in three runs to lead the Junior National Team to a 7-4 win over Palm Beach State College as selection camp exhibition play opened at FITTEAM Ballpark of the Palm Beaches.
Selection Camp is being used to determine the 20-player roster that will represent Canada at the COPABE U-18 Pan Am Championships in Panama from November 23-December 2.
BOX SCORE (*Note, the JNT hit in the bottom of the 9th)
Clarke opened the scoring in the second with an RBI single to left and Jayden Knight (Langley, BC) followed with a sac-fly as the juniors built a 2-0 lead after two innings.
LaRon Smith (Spruce Grove, AB) then chipped in with a single to left in the third and it was 3-0 after three innings of play.
Starting pitcher Ryan Scott (Quispamsis, NB) fired two innings of scoreless of one-hit baseball with one strikeout and Connor O’Halloran (Mississauga, ON) followed with two scoreless frames of his own including one strikeout to keep Palm Beach hitters in check through four.
Palm Beach got on the scoreboard in the sixth plating two runs with the first coming on a double to centre before an error by first baseman Damiano Palmegiani (Surrey, BC) on a throw to first brought in the second run.
Clarke came up big again in the seventh with a two-run single before Daniel Carinci (Ajax, ON) belted a triple to centre to make it 6-2. Carinci later scampered home on a throw to first base on a dropped third strike to put the juniors up by five.
Olivier Morin-Larocque (Québec, QC) provided two scoreless innings of relief and had four strikeouts to earn the win.
Notes: The Junior National Team will take on the Fort Lauderdale Stars tomorrow at 1PM ET with RHP Ben Abram (Georgetown, ON) slated to start on the mound.
Selection Camp Schedule:
11/15 Canada 7, Palm Beach State College 4
11/16 Canada vs Fort Lauderdale Stars 1PM ET
11/17 Canada vs USA 5PM ET
11/19 Canada vs USA 5PM ET
11/20 Canada vs Fort Lauderdale Stars 1PM ET
Useful links:
Canada Selection Camp Roster
Full Selection Camp Schedule
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