MORGANTOWN, WV. — In a game marked by multiple weather delays and momentum swings, the Canadian Junior National Team held off a late charge to earn an 8–7 win over the College State Spikes on Saturday afternoon at Wagener Field at Kendrick Family Ballpark.
Canada wasted no time getting on the board, as Elliot Lascelles (Toronto, ON) led off the game with a triple and came around to score on a sacrifice fly from Robert Omidi (Mississauga, ON). Tim Piasentin (Coquitlam, BC) followed with a double before Jordan Jacob (Maple, ON) traded places with him, delivering a two-run double to make it 3–0.
Easton Kitura (Spruce Grove, AB) stole home in the fourth—his first of two steals and two runs scored on the day—to stretch the lead to 4–0 early on.
Sean Duncan (Port Coquitlam, BC) started for the Juniors and struck out four over 3.1 innings before a rain delay forced him out of the game.
The Spikes rallied with four runs of their own in an hour-long bottom half of the fourth, sparked by a two-run triple and a pair of defensive miscues by the Canadians.
After a lightning delay paused the action once more, Canada responded immediately in the top of the fifth. Back-to-back singles from Omidi and Piasentin led to a run, with Kitura capping the frame with an RBI single to score Félix Gosselin (Drummondville, QC) and push the lead to 6–4.
The teams continued to trade blows in the late innings. After the Spikes tied it 6–6 through six, Canada strung together another clutch rally in the seventh. Piasentin—who finished 3-for-4 with a pair of runs scored—singled to start the inning and eventually came home on a bases-loaded walk to Finn Hoeschen (North Vancouver, BC). One batter later, Nolan Weinmeyer (Sidney, BC) restored the two-run lead with a sacrifice fly.
On the mound, Austin Blair (Victoria, BC) and Nick Halcovitch (Waterdown, ON) handled the middle innings, navigating through delays and a late Spikes push. The College State Spikes cut the lead to 8–7 in the bottom of the seventh before weather halted the game for good, sealing the win for Canada.
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(Easton Kitura, Sean Duncan, Tim Piasentin)
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