Tokyo, Japan-Team Canada opened the 2010 World University Baseball Championships with a 3-2 victory over Chinese Taipei.
Sheldon McDonald (Spruce Grove, AB) got the nod on the mound to start the opener for Team Canada and threw 8 solid innings for the win. McDonald scattered 3 hits over 8 innings giving up 1 run with 1 walk and struck out 4 Taipei hitters. McDonald pounded the Taipei hitters inside and made for a lot of uncomfortable at-bats for the Taipei hitters. Adam Reynolds (Guelph, ON) came in and earned the save in the 9th inning. Taipei mustered one run on a home run off Reynolds.
Canada opened the scoring in the 2nd inning when DH Ryan Fleming (Whitby, ON) belted a solo home run to right field. With one on and one out, Blake Carruthers (Calgary, AB) singled up the middle to put runners on first and third. SS Carter Bell (Courtenay, BC) singled to right field to score 1B Garrett Regan (Calgary, AB) to put Canada up 2-0. After Taipei scored one run in the 3rd inning, Team Canada responded with another run in the top of the 4th inning. Carruthers tripled with 2 out to start the rally, Bell then hit a routine ground ball to the SS who made an errand throw allowing Carruthers to score. Canada hit a lot of balls hard all afternoon but had nothing else offensively to show for their efforts. Canada outhit Taipei 8 to 4. Carruthers and Dan Welch (Victoria, BC) led the offense with two hits apiece. 2B Chad Marshall (Paris, ON), LF Aaron Dunsmore (Spruce Grove, AB), Fleming and Bell also had hits.
"It's a nice way to open the tournament", commented head coach Todd Plaxton. "You never know how you measure up until you actually get started. Sheldon was outstanding for us today and let our offense get to work. We hit very well today and squared up a lot of balls. This win puts us in a good spot and now we need to take care of business tomorrow against Sri Lanka".
NOTES: The game was played at Menji Jingu Stadium, the home of the Yakult Swallows of the Japanese pro league... next action will be on Sat. July 31st when they take on Sri Lanka...Brandon Kaye (Langley, BC) will get the start for Team Canada...Canada lost 6-4 to Taipei in the opening game of the 2008 tournament in the Czech Republic...Canadian umpire Elmer Jerkovits worked second base in the Japan-Korea game.
