LAKE BUENA VISTA, Florida-The Washington Nationals extended club pounded-out 15 hits and scored in all but three innings as they handed the Junior National Team a 13-3 defeat in the final game of the spring training camp.
The juniors collected seven hits on the day with Matthew Lloyd (Okotoks, AB) leading the way with a pair of singles, while Andrew Yerzy (North York, ON) doubled. Gareth Morgan (Toronto, ON), Josh Naylor (Mississauga, ON), Mitchell Robinson (Surrey, BC) and Royce Ando (Mississauga, ON) each had a single.
After a scoreless first, the Nats took a 2-0 lead in the top of the second after a two-out RBI single followed by an error that brought in another run off JNT starter Mike Soroka (Calgary, AB).
With reliever Zach Pop (Brampton, ON) on the mound, the Nats scored on a pair of doubles in the third before the juniors got a run back in the bottom of the inning when Matt Lloyd scored on a JF Garon (Terrebonne, QC) groundout.
Pop tossed a scoreless fourth and recorded two strikeouts before the Nats scored three runs in the fifth on a pair of RBI singles and a fielder’s choice.
Pop was charged with three earned runs after giving up four hits and three walks, while fanning four.
The juniors cut the Nats lead to three in the bottom of the fifth when Andrew Yerzy’s double scored both Mitch Robinson and Luke Horanksi (Dugald, MB).
Colton Wood (Victoria, BC) took the mound for the sixth and gave-up a one-out single before another batter reached on a dropped third strike. A single followed that brought in both runners giving the Nats a commanding five run lead.
Wood settled in after hitting the leadoff batter in the seventh getting a pair of fly-outs and a groundout to end the inning.
The Nats put the game completely out of reach in the eighth scoring four times off Matt Ianni (Ottawa, ON) after he allowed five hits.
JP Stevenson (Hunter River, PE) came on for the ninth and gave-up one run after a pair of walks and a single.
Up Next: Players, coaches and staff will return home tomorrow…The Junior National Team will reconvene on May 21st when they travel to the Dominican Republic for the annual tour through the Dominican Summer League…After a series against the Cuban 18U National Team in Cuba in July, the juniors will conduct a selection camp in Houston in late August before 20 players are selected to represent Canada at the COPABE Americas 18U World Cup Qualification tournament in Lagos de Moreno, Mexico September 5th-14th…The top four nations in Mexico will qualify for the IBAF 18U World Cup that will take place in Koshein, Japan in September 2015.
