Soroka impresses, Orimoloye goes deep, Jrs. beat Prospects
The Canadian Junior National Team finished up its tour of the Dominican with a 9-2 win over a team of MLB Prospects who are eligible to sign on July 2.
Soroka brilliant, Orimoloye homers as juniors thump July 2nd prospects
By Adam Morissette
Baseball Canada
Score: Canada (18U) 9 MLB Prospects (DR) 2
Location: Estadio Tetelo Vargas – San Pedro de Macoris, DR
Weather: 30 degrees Celsius, Partly cloudy
Canada 18U Starting Lineup:
1. Miles Gordon - CF
2. Royce Ando - SS
3. JD Williams – 2B
4. Josh Naylor – 1B
5. Demi Orimoloye RF
6. Andrew Yerzy - C
7. Luke Van Rycheghem – DH
8. Brad Aldred 3B
9. Isaac Deveaux – DH
10. JF Garon - LF
Starting Pitcher: RHP Mike Soroka
HOW IT HAPPENED
-With the bases loaded in the top of the second, Miles Gordon (Oakville, Ont.) hit a hard groundball that was misplayed at first base allowing Andrew Yerzy (Toronto, Ont.). The bases became loaded on a walk to Yerzy, a single off the bat of Luke Van Rycheghem (Kent Bridge, Ont.), while JF Garon (Terrebonne, Que.) was hit by a pitch.
- JD Williams (Brampton, Ont.) stood on third with one out in the third before Demi Orimoloye (Orleans, Ont.) stepped to the plate and launched the first pitch he saw over the wall in left for a two-run homer.
- In the fourth, the juniors scored four times to go by seven. Garon walked and scored on an RBI single off the bat of Williams before Josh Naylor (Mississauga, Ont.) lift a fly ball to left that scored Miles Gordon (Oakville, Ont.). With two runners on and two out, what should have been a fly-out to centre off the bat of Demi Orimoloye was dropped allowing two more runs to come in.
- Gordon led off the sixth with a double off the left field wall and eventually tagged from third and scored when Williams flew out to right field. Later in the inning with two out and Naylor on third, a mishandled ball at second base allowed him to score the second run of the inning to put the juniors in front by nine.
- The Prospects picked up their first hits and runs of the game in the sixth off of reliever Josh Burgmann (Nanaimo, BC). They’re first hit came on a one out single to centre before a two-run homer to right put them on the scoreboard.
JNT HIGHLIGHTS
- JNT starter Mike Soroka (Calgary, Alta.) kept his scoreless innings streak in the Dominican Republic with five scoreless frames. He did not allow a hit or issue a walk and struck out eight batters. Two runners reached on errors. Through three outings in the Dominican he threw 13 innings and allowed just one hit and one walk, while fanning 16 batters.
- Orimoloye’s two-run blast in the third was his third home run of the Dominican Summer League Camp. Naylor led the club with five long balls during the week, while Gordon had one.
-The JNT finish the Dominican Summer League Camp with an impressive eight wins compared to four losses.
- Royce Ando (Mississauga, Ont.) has been stellar defensively all week and capped it off today with a spectacular play in the ninth fielding a ball deep in the hole at short and making a long throw over to first to get the runner.
TEAM LEADERS
Hits: 2, Orimoloye (2/5), Van Rycheghem (2/4); 1, Gordon (1/4), Williams (1/3), Yerzy (1/4), Deveaux (1/4)
Runs: 2, Gordon, Williams; 1, Ando, Naylor, Orimoloye, Yerzy, Garon
Doubles: 1, Gordon, Deveaux
Home runs: 1, Orimoloye (3)
RBIs: 2, Williams, Orimoloye; 1 Naylor
Strikeouts: 8, Soroka; 6, Burgmann
QUOTES
Head Coach Greg Hamilton on the Dominican Summer League Camp experience and the value that it brings to the Junior National Team program: “It’s invaluable. It’s and athletic experience, it’s a life experience and we like to build both pieces into young people. (The players) are going to take away the opportunity life-wise to have perspective, which I think is important. For those that move on to professional baseball they’ll have a perspective on their (Dominican) teammates and where they come from. You also get a chance to play and compete in a real foreign environment – it’s a great opportunity for growth for these kids.”
UP NEXT
Players, coaches and staff will travel home Saturday … The Junior National Team will reconvene on Australia’s Gold Coast for the final team selection camp from August 15th to the 27th. At the conclusion of camp, 20 players will be selected to represent Canada at the WBSC U18 World Cup in Osaka, Japan from August 28th till September 6th.