After squandering a six-run lead in the opening game of its 2006 Dominican Republic Tour, Thursday in Villa Mella, Baseball Canada’s National Junior Team prospects posted a three-run 10th inning to top the Seattle Mariners 9-6.
Chase Larsson (Vancouver, B.C.) singled-in the winning run after Kyle Gilligan (Toronto, Ont.), Chris Dennis (Windsor, Ont.) and Tyson Gillies (Langley, B.C.) were all walked to lead off the top of the 10th inning. A sacrifice fly from Brett Lawrie (Langley, B.C.) and a base hit by Shayne Willson (Surrey, B.C.) provided the two insurance markers.
Mark Ellis (Maple Ridge, B.C.) crushed the ball for a towering two-run homerun in the fifth inning to put Canada in front 6-0 before the Mariners began to slowly chip away at the lead with a marker in the bottom half of the inning and another in the sixth to cut the lead to 6-2.
Up four runs and only three outs away from a convincing victory, 6’7” right-hander Phillippe Aumont (Gatineau, Québec) struggled with his control, giving up four earned runs behind no hits, three walks and three wild pitches in 1.2 innings of work to send it to extra innings.
Aumont accounted for three of the 14 strikeouts posted by Canadian pitchers. Reliever David Francis (Mississauga, Ont.) shut down the Mariners for the final 1.1 innings, striking out four while walking two without allowing a hit to earn the win. Before handing the ball to Aumont in the eighth inning, Matt Jebb (Toronto, Ont.) struck out a pair of Mariners and gave up two runs behind two hits and two walks.
Canadian starting pitcher Drew Parker (Surrey, B.C.) set the tone for Canada striking out a game-high five Mariners while throwing four strong no-hit innings without a walk.
Canada opened up the scoring in the first on a bases-loaded walk to Ellis, scoring Larsson. Larsson then scored again in the third inning all the way from second base on a fielding error by the Mariners for a 2-0 lead.
Steve Anderson (Markham, Ont.) led off the fourth inning with a solo homerun to right-centre field to make it 3-0 before Canada’s three run fifth.
Larsson was 2-for-4 with three runs scored and one RBI and Ellis was 1-for-4 with 1 run scored and 3 RBI to lead the Canadian offence. Willson and Anderson both chipped in by going 1-for-4 with one run scored and one RBI each. Lawrie went 1-for-2 with 1 RBI while Gillies scored a pair of runs.
Canada will complete a two-game set against the Mariners in Villa Mella, Friday, at 11:00 a.m. EST.
Canada’s Schedule
May 25 Canada 9 Seattle Mariners 6
May 26 Canada vs. Seattle Mariners 11 a.m. EST Villa Mella, D.R.
May 27 Canada vs. Minnesota Twins 11 a.m. EST Boca Chica, D.R.
May 28 Canada vs. Anaheim Angels 11 a.m. EST San Pedro de Macoris, D.R.
May 29 Canada vs. Cleveland Indians 11 a.m. EST Boca Chica, D.R.
May 30 Canada vs. Cleveland Indians 11 a.m. EST Boca Chica, D.R.
May 31 Canada vs. Toronto Blue Jays 11 a.m. EST Hato Mayor, D.R.
June 1 Canada vs. Philadelphia Phillies 11 a.m. EST Guanuma, D.R.
