LAKE BUENA VISTA, Florida- It wasn’t pretty for the Junior National Team today as the Houston Astros prospects pounded out 16 hits scoring 16 runs to defeat the juniors by a count of 16-3.
The juniors only managed three hits on the afternoon with Gareth Morgan (Toronto, ON), Mitch Bigras (Sarnia, ON) and Andrew Yerzy (North York, ON) each hitting a double.
Both teams traded runs in the first that saw the Astros score on a RBI single, while Josh Naylor (Mississauga, ON) knocked in JF Garon (Terrebonne, QC) from third base on a sac-fly.
Garon had walked and advanced to third on a double off the bat of Morgan.
The juniors took a brief lead in the bottom of third when Mitch Bigras doubled, advanced to third after a fielder’s choice and scored on an error.
The lead didn’t last long however as starter Kurtis Horne (Sooke, BC) was touched up for four runs in the top of the fourth that included a two-run homer.
After allowing a run in the first, Horne worked scoreless frames in the second and third and ended his four inning outing with one strikeout.
Reliever Jackson Wark (St. Albert, AB) took the mound in the top of the fifth and allowed a run to score on a wild-pitch pitch before the Astros struck for four runs in the sixth. With one out, Wark allowed a single and walked two to load the bases before a double scored two. Two more runs came into count on a wild pitch and RBI single.
The Astros weren’t done there as they added a single run in the seventh off reliever Kristjan Storrie (Langley, BC) before scoring five more times in the eighth with Mitch Bigras on the mound.
Bigras allowed four hits and walked two, while one run scored on an error.
Tristan Clarke (Brampton, ON) worked a scoreless top of the ninth with one strikeout before the juniors added one run in the bottom of the frame when Luke Horanski (Dugald, MB) walked and scored all the way from first base on an Andrew Yerzy double.
Up Next: The juniors will play an afternoon contest tomorrow when they take-on prospects from the Atlanta Braves at 1pm ET…LHP Ben Onyshko (Winnipeg, MB) is expected to start.
