The Junior National Team played a doubleheader today and dropped a 4-3 decision to the New York Yankees prospects in the afternoon before doubling up on Puerto Rico, 4-2 in the evening.
GAME ONE INFORMATION
Score: New York Yankees 4 Canada (18U) 3
Location: Walter Fuller Complex, St. Petersburg, Florida
Weather: 27 degrees Celsius, Clear
Canada 18U Starting Lineup:
1. Miles Gordon - CF
2. Kobe Hyland - SS
3. Demi Orimoloye - RF
4. Josh Naylor – 1B
5. Tristan Pompey - LF
6. Andrew Yerzy - C
7. Isaac Deveaux - DH
8. Peter Hutzal – 3B
9. JF Garon - DH
10. Royce Ando – 2B
11. Darren Shred – DH
Starting Pitcher: LHP Matt Jones
HOW IT HAPPENED
-After a scoreless first inning the Yankees opened the scoring in the bottom of the second inning benefitting from a pair of throwing errors as Matt Jones’ failed pick-off attempt at first base coupled with a Josh Naylor throwing error allowed a lead-off single to come around and score the games first run. After a pair of base hits scored a run, Jones walked the bases loaded before another free pass brought in the third run of the inning.
-The Yankees added to their lead with a run in the bottom of the sixth when a runner scored from third on a fielder’s choice. The runner moved to third after a leadoff single and stolen base was followed by a wild pitch.
-Andrew Yerzy (Toronto, ON) drew a walk to leadoff the eighth and after an infield single from Isaac Deveaux (Montréal, QC) moved to second before a double play saw him end up at third. JF Garon (Terrebonne, QC) then hit a chopper that the shortstop mishandled and Yerzy trotted in from third to score the juniors’ first run of the game.
-Demi Orimoloye (Orleans, ON) pulled the juniors to within one in the top of the ninth when he drilled a home run to left field on a full count fastball with two-out in the inning.
JNT HIGHLIGHTS
-The Yankees tested Orimoloye’s arm early in the game and he rose to the challenge gunning out a runner attempting to go first-to-third on a single in the bottom of the first. The throw beat the runner by 15 feet as third baseman Peter Hutzal (Calgary, AB) applied the tag for the out.
-Royce Ando (Mississauga, ON) went 2-for-3 with a pair of singles, while Kobe Hyland (Spruce Grove, AB), Miles Gordon (Oakville, ON), Deveaux and Hutzal all had singles.
-Reliever Nicholas Virdo (Brampton, ON) struck out four Yankees in a row after allowing a single to leadoff the bottom of the fourth. Virdo worked three innings and allowed one run, two hits and walked a batter.
-RJ Freure (Burlington, ON) worked two perfect frames in the seventh and eighth and struck out two batters.
FAMILIAR FACES
Junior National Team alums Dayton Dawe (2011, 2012) and Evan Rutckyj (2010) made the trip to the Walter Fuller Complex in St. Petersburg from the Yankees spring training home in Tampa Bay. Dawe tossed one inning of scoreless relief allowing a single and a walk, and struck out two batters. Rutckyj went two scoreless innings allowed one hit and struck out three.
THEY SAID IT
Yankees Canadian Scout and Senior National Team Pitching Coach, Denis Boucher at a loss for on who he was cheering for:
“I don’t know," he said with a chuckle. “I’m cheering for my pitchers.”
Boucher drafted both Rutckyj (2010) and Dawe (2012) out of the Junior National Team program. Boucher has also coached current JNT pitchers Vincent Beauregard and Mathieu Deneault-Gauthier with Team Québec at Tournament 12 last September.
Orimoloye on his home run:
“I felt pretty good after my previous at-bat so I knew something good was going to happen. We’ve been here for a few days now and I’m starting to feel more comfortable at the plate. My timing is getting better.”
TEAM LEADERS
Hits: 2, Orimoloye (2/4), Ando (2/3)
Runs: 1, Ando, Gordon, Orimoloye
HR: 1, Orimoloye
RBIs: 2, Orimoloye
Strikeouts: 4, Virdo
GAME TWO INFORMATION
Score: Canada (18U) 4 Puerto Rico 2
Location: Walter Fuller Complex, St. Petersburg, Florida
Weather: 27 degrees Celsius, Clear
1. Royce Ando – SS
2. Kobe Hyland – 2B
3. Demi Orimoloye – RF
4. Miles Gordon – DH
5. Tristan Pompey – DH
6. Andrew Yerzy – DH
7. Isaac Deveaux – LF
8. JF Garon – CF
9. Ben Komonosky – C
10. Darren Shred – 1B
11. Cooper Lamb – 3B
Starting Pitcher: RHP Michael Brettell
HOW IT HAPPENED
-Back-to-back singles from Royce Ando and Kobe Hyland followed by a walk to Demi Orimoloye loaded the bases with nobody out for Miles Gordon who promptly lifted a fly ball to centerfield allowing Ando to tag and score easily from third base. With two out, Hyland scored from third base on a wild pitch and the juniors were out to an early 2-0 lead.
-Kobe Hyland led off the top of the fourth with a triple to the gap in right-centre and eventually scored with two out when Tristan Pompey (Milton, ON) hit a triple of his own on a ball that landed just shy of the 400 foot sign in centerfield.
-Puerto Rico answered back in the home half of the fourth as a leadoff single followed by a double to left field got them on the scoreboard with a run.
-Puerto Rico put runners on first and third with one out in the eighth before a passed ball moved the runners over. After a comebacker to the mound was flipped to first base for the second out, the Puerto Rican runner from third was well off the bag, a throw ensued that sailed into foul territory allowing a run to score.
-The juniors got an insurance run in the ninth as Tristan Pompey singled to left, moved to third on a wild pitch and advanced to third on a subsequent wild pitch with the catcher throwing wildly over the third baseman. Pompey then trotted home to score, easily.
JNT HIGHLIGHTS
-RHP Michael Brettell (Fonthill, ON) continued his impressive run through two spring training throwing three scoreless innings and allowing only one hit and one walk. He fanned two batters.
-Hyland and Pompey had the chance to show off their wheels in the fourth with each hitting a triple.
-After giving up an early run in the fourth, JNT reliever Matt Ianni (Ottawa, ON) settled in and retired six in a row including a string of four consecutive strikeouts. He went three innings gave up one run, three hits and had four strikeouts.
-Reliever Mathieu Deneault-Gauthier (Candiac, QC) came up with a big strikeout to end the eighth as Puerto Rico threatened with runners on second and third. Deneault-Gauthier had allowed a two-out walk before a double to right.
-Deneault-Gauthier struck out two in the ninth including the third out of the inning to close out the game
TEAM LEADERS
Hits: 2, Hyland (2/4), Pompey (2/4)
Runs: 2, Hyland
Triples: 2, Hyland, Pompey
RBIs: 1, Gordon, Pompey
Strikeouts: 4, Ianni, Deneault-Gauthier
ON DECK
The Juniors will be back at the Walter Fuller Complex tomorrow as an Atlanta Braves prospect club with come to St. Petersburg for a 1pm ET game…RHP Mike Soroka (Calgary, AB) is scheduled to start on the mound…The game can be heard live online by visiting radiostpete.com and you can also get live updates by following @Team_C_Updates on Twitter.
