San Pedro de Macoris, DR-The Toronto Blue Jays Dominican prospects scored the tying run in the bottom of the ninth on a wild-pitch and the Junior National Team narrowly escaped defeat by executing a perfect relay from right field to end the game in a 3-3 tie.
A walk, stolen base and two wild pitches from reliever Logan Seifrit (Spruce Grove, AB) brought home the tying run.
Gareth Morgan (Toronto, ON) scored the game’s first run in the top of the second when he scored from third base on a wild pitch. Morgan had walked with one out, advanced to second when Chris Shaw (Winnipeg, MB) drew a walk and reached third on a passed ball.
Cal Quantrill (Port Hope, ON) started for the JNT and got out of trouble in the bottom of the first by getting a ground ball out with runners on second and third.
After Quantrill tossed a perfect second inning with one strikeout, the juniors added to their lead with two runs in the third. Brett Siddall (Windsor, ON) singled to left with the bases loaded to bring in a run and Jamar Burnette (Toronto, ON) followed with a run of his own after a wild pitch made it all the way to the backstop.
The Jays would get one run back in the third after Quantrill walked the leadoff batter who stole second and scored on a RBI single.
In the fourth with Quantrill still on the mound, the Jays cut the JNT lead to one after a two-out triple scored a runner from first.
Quantrill’s ended up pitching five innings giving up two runs on four hits and two walks, while striking out four.
The junior bats were held silent after the two run third as they only managed two base hits the rest of the way.
Christian Botnick (Brampton, ON) made his JNT debut in relief of Quantrill in the sixth and he impressed working two scoreless inning including working out of a jam in the seventh with two runners on.
Botnick allowed two hits and struck out one during his outing.
Logan Seifrit worked a scoreless eighth before the Jays tied the score in the bottom of the ninth.
The juniors will take on the Milwaukee Brewers down the road from the Blue Jays Complex in San Pedro de Macoris at 2:30 this afternoon with Clayton Isherwood (Van Anda, BC) scheduled to start.
Legendary Latin American Scout Pablo Cruz is the Coordinator at the Blue Jays Dominican Complex. Cruz has signed many players such as Aramis Ramirez, Moises Alou and Ronny Paulino. Cruz also spent time in Canada as he played minor league baseball in Sherbrooke, QC and Winnipeg, MB in the 1970’s.
