Oct. 3rd, 2016

Fall Instructional League: Juniors drop opener to Astros

By Adam Morissette
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Florida – The Junior National Team opened the annual Fall Instructional League Camp today at ESPN Wide World of Sports and came out on the wrong end of an 11-3 match-up against a prospects squad from the Houston Astros organization

GAME INFORMATION
Event: Fall Instructional League
Score: Houston Astros 11 Canada (U18) 3
Location: ESPN Wide World of Sports – Lake Buena Vista, Florida

Canada U18 Starting Lineup:
1. Cooper Davis – CF
2. Edouard Julien – 2B
3. Adam Hall – SS
4. Noah Naylor - C
5. Rhys Cratty – DH
6. Dondrae Bremner – 3B
7. Jason Willow - EH
8. Lucas Parente – RF
9. Archer Brookman – EH
10. Brody Frerichs - LF

Starting Pitcher: RHP Jake English

HOW IT HAPPENED
- The Astros opened the scoring in the top of the first as a one out walk came around to score on a triple. JNT starter Jake English (London, Ont.) then allowed a single followed by a walk and a base hit and the Astros led by three.

- After a scoreless second, English issued a lead off walk in the third and with two out, a home run gave the Astros a 5-0 lead.

- The Astros used the long ball again in the fourth, this time off reliever Garrett Nicholson (Sydney Mines, NS), as a two out walk scored on a two-run homer.

- A run in the fifth put Houston up by five before the juniors got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the inning as Dondrae Bremner (Toronto, Ont.) doubled with one out and moved to third on an error before Lucas Parente’s (Burlington, Ont.) fly ball scored Bremner from third.

- Denzel Clarke (Pickering, Ont.) got things going in the sixth as he entered the game as a pinch hitter and single, stole second and advanced to third on a passed ball. An Astros balk then brought Clarke in from third and the juniors trailed, 8-2.

- In the seventh, Bremner reached on an error and scored on an ensuing error to make it 8-3, however, the Astros scored three in the ninth, coming off reliever Cade Smith (Abbotsford, BC), on an error, two hits and three walks.

JNT HIGHLIGHTS
- Bremner accounted for the only Junior National Team extra base hit on the day with his double in the fifth. He also scored two runs.

- Both English and Nicholson came up with scoreless frames, while Smith started his three-inning outing with two scoreless innings.

TEAM LEADERS
Hits: 1, Davis (1/2), Bremner (1/3), Parente (1/1), Clarke (1/2)
RBI: 1, Parente
Doubles: 1, Bremner
Stolen Bases: 1, Clarke
Strikeouts: 2, Smith; 1, English, Nicholson

GAME II

The National Team’s Fall Instructional League game Tuesday against a prospects squad from the Washington Nationals organization was called off during the fourth inning due to rain.

The Nationals held a 5-2 lead when the teams were sent off the field. The game will not be made up.

The Junior National Team will travel to Dunedin tomorrow to take on the Toronto Blue Jays Fall Instructional League club with the first pitch scheduled for 1pm ET at the Bobby Mattick Complex.