By: Adam Morissette

Canadian Baseball Network

HAVANA, Cuba – A close ballgame turned into a one-sided win for Cuba as they scored seven runs in the eighth inning to go on to an 11-2 win over the Junior National Team to win the first game of the nine-game Cuba Summer Series at Estadio Latinoamericano.

GAME INFORMATION

Score: Cuba (U-18) 11 Canada (U-18) 2
Location: Estadio Latinoamericano – Havana, Cuba
Weather: 33 degrees Celsius, A few clouds

Canada 18U Starting Lineup:

1. Cooper Davis - CF

2. Dondrae Bremner – 2B

3. Adam Hall - SS

4. Tyler Duncan - RF

5. Clayton Keyes - LF

6. Noah Naylor - DH

7. Jason Willow – 3B

8. Soren Graversen – 1B

9. Archer Brookman - C

Starting Pitcher: LHP Jack DeCooman

HOW IT HAPPENED

-Cuba used a lead off double to right followed by a one double to right to open the scoring in the bottom of the first. After JNT starter Jack DeCooman (North Vancouver, BC) hit a batter, a base hit to left looked to bring in another run, but left fielder Clayton Keyes (Calgary, AB) fired a strike to catcher Archer Brookman (Montréal, QC) who applied the tag to nab the runner. Cuba added a run on a throwing error to go up by two after one.

-Canada answered back in the top of the second and it was Dondrae Bremner (Toronto, ON) who came up with a clutch hit when he lined a single up the middle to score Jason Willow (Victoria, BC) from third base. Willow had led off with a walk, moved to second on an error and advanced to third on a wild pitch.

-DeCooman was in cruise control until the fifth when Cuba used three hits including a two out single to left to score a run that put them back in front by two.

-The juniors cut the lead to one with a run in the sixth as Michael Stovman (Maple Ridge, BC) lofted a single into left field that brought in Jason Willow from second base. Willow had reached on a two out error and stole second base to move in to scoring position.

-Cuba regained their two run advantage with a run in the seventh as they strung together a pair of doubles off of reliever Sam Shoemaker (Lions Bay, BC). Shoemaker stranded a runner on third by getting a ground out to short to end the inning.

-The wheels fell off for the juniors in the eighth as they scored seven runs to go up 11-2. A leadoff single, walk, sac bunt and walk loaded the bases before an error on a fielder’s choice brought in two runs. After two more walks brought in another run, a double off the left field wall cleared them before an RBI groundout brought in the inning’s seventh run.

JNT HIGHLIGHTS

-The juniors received a pair of outfield assists with Keyes coming up with one in the first, while Cooper Davis (Mississauga, ON) came up firing and nabbed a runner trying to go first to third on a base hit in the fifth.

-Starter Jack DeCooman turned in a solid performance on the mound over five innings of work. At one point he retired ten of eleven batters and had two strikeouts.

-Reliever Ben Abram (Georgetown, ON) had a brief appearance on the mound but was very effective as he face just three batters getting a fly out and pair of groundouts in a neat and tidy sixth inning.

TEAM LEADERS

Hits: 2, Bremner (2/3); 1, Hall (1/4), Naylor (1/4), Stovman (1/2)

Runs: 2, Willow

RBIs: 1, Bremner, Stovman

Strikeouts: 2, DeCooman, Shoemaker

UP NEXT

Canada and Cuba will play a doubleheader tomorrow at Estadio Latinoamericano in Havana with the first game scheduled for 10am ET and the second to follow at 3pm ET…RHP William Sierra (Montréal, QC) is slated to start game one, while Wesley Moore (Surrey, BC) gets the nod for game two…Live tweets will be available by following @Team_C_Updates on Twitter.