BOCA CHICA, Dominican Republic-Starter Ben Onyshko (Winnipeg, MB) pitched seven strong innings and struck out nine leading the Junior National Team to a 7-2 victory over the New York Mets Dominican prospects.
Onyshko came up big all game long keeping the Mets off the scoreboard as he helped strand eight runners in seven innings.
In the bottom of the first, he made a great catch on a pop-up bunt for the first out and got a groundout to shortstop for two quick outs, but a walk and a throwing error gave the Mets runners on a second and third before a wild pitch scored the runner from third. He was not charged with an earned run.
Onyshko strung together a perfect inning in the bottom of the second on a pair of groundouts and a strikeout, and got some run support in the top half of the third as the juniors scored two runs.
Demi Orimoloye (Orleans, ON) led-off with a single and moved to second on a JF Garon (Terrebonne, QC) single before a throw from the pitcher on a pick-off attempt at second sailed into centerfield allowing both runners to advance. Tristan Clarke (Brampton, ON) then lifted a fly-ball to right field that allowed Orimoloye to slide in safely at home for a sac-fly and Garon later scored on a wild-pitch to give the juniors a 2-1 lead.
Onyshko worked his way out of trouble in the third getting a strikeout and two infield pop-outs after giving up a pair of singles to start the inning.
After both teams failed to score in the fourth with runners on base, the juniors loaded the bases in the fifth on a pair of walks and a single to left from Tristan Clarke. With two-out, Matt Lloyd (Okotoks, AB) stepped to the plate and hit a hard ground ball to the right side that deflected off the first baseman right into the second baseman’s glove who threw to the pitcher covering first for the third out of the inning.
The juniors broke open the game in the sixth scoring four times to go up 6-1. Gareth Morgan walked to leadoff the inning and Josh Naylor (Mississauga, ON) reached on an error before Mitch Robinson’s (Surrey, BC) infield single loaded the bases. Luke Horanski (Dugald, MB) then walked to score Morgan, and Naylor scored on a wild pitch before Tristan Clarke’s single brought in Robinson. Luke Horanski scored the fourth run of the inning on a wild pitch that reached the backstop.
Onyshko put forth a valiant effort in the sixth leaving two runners on with a pair of strikeouts to end the inning. He came back out for the seventh and did the same, stranding two getting a ground out to short to end the inning after he struck out two earlier in the frame.
Keenan Williams (Vancouver, BC) made his second appearance of the Dominican tour coming in for the eighth where he struck out two and left two on base.
The juniors will travel to Guerra this afternoon to face the DSL Dodgers where LHP Kurtis Horne (Sooke, BC) is slated to start.
