Fall Instructional League: Juniors edged by Astros as camp resumes

Oct. 9th, 2016
By Adam Morissette
Baseball Canada
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla – With Hurricane Matthew causing three consecutive days of rainouts, the Junior National Team resumed play in the Fall Instructional League Sunday as the Houston Astros used a three run eighth inning for a comeback, 8-7, win.

GAME INFORMATION
Event: Fall Instructional League
Score: Houston Astros 8 Canada (U18) 7
Location: ESPN Wide World of Sports – Lake Buena Vista, Florida

Canada U18 Starting Lineup:
1. Cooper Davis – CF
2. Dondrae Bremner  – 2B
3. Adam Hall – SS
4. Noah Naylor – DH
5. Clayton Keyes - RF
6. Michael Stovman – 1B
7. Rhys Cratty – LF
8. Jason Willow – 3B
9. Archer Brookman – DH
10. Victor Cerny – C
11. Brody Frerichs - DH

Starting Pitcher: RHP William Sierra

HOW IT HAPPENED
- Clayton Keyes’ (Calgary, Alta.) three run home gave the junior a 3-0 lead after one. Dondrae Bremner (Toronto, Ont.) walked with one out before Noah Naylor (Mississauga, Ont.) doubled with two out to put runners on second and third for Keyes who clobbered a fastball.

- After two scoreless innings, the Astros got to JNT starter William Sierra (Montréal, Que.) in the third as they used three hits, including two doubles, and a couple of walks to plate four runs. A lead off double and single brought in the first run of the inning before a walk and fielder’s choice brought in another. Another walk followed by a two run double gave the Astros a one run lead.

- The juniors retook the lead in the fourth as Bremner and Adam Hall (Hall, Ont.) both drew walks before Naylor came up with a triple, his second extra base hit of the game, to score two. After a walk to Keyes, Michael Stovman came up with an RBI single to give the juniors a two run lead before Jason Willow’s (Victoria, BC) fly ball brought in Keyes with the fourth run of the inning.

- After a run scored on an RBI single in the fifth, the Astros completed the comeback in the eighth as they used three walks and two hits off reliever Cade Smith (Abbotsford, BC) to score three and go out in front, 8-7.

JNT HIGHLIGHTS
- Keyes’ first inning home run was the first long ball of the week for the Junior National Team.

- Naylor led the juniors’ seven-hit attack with a 2-for-4 day at the plate.

- Reliever Austin Brown (Powell River, BC) turned in two scoreless innings on the mound as he gave up just one hit and struck out one batter.

TEAM LEADERS
Hits: 2, Naylor (2/4); 1, Davis (1/3), Hall (1/3), Keyes (1/3), Stovman (1/3), Cratty (1/3)
2B: 1, Naylor
3B: 1, Naylor, Davis
HR: 1, Keyes
Runs: 2, Bremner, Naylor, Keyes; 1, Hall
RBI: 3, Keyes; 2, Naylor; 1, Stovman, Willow
Strikeouts: 2, Sierra, Smith; 1, Nicholson, Brown

UP NEXT
The juniors are back at ESPN Wide World of Sports Monday to start the first of three consecutive contests against the Atlanta Braves prospects (1pm ET) … RHP Ben Abram (Georgetown, ON) is scheduled to start on the mound.