Keyes homers, DeCooman, Balazovic impress in DH split
OF Clayton Keyes (Calgary, Alta.) went deep as the Team Canada Junior National team split a doubleheader. Photo: Eddie Michels.
May 24, 2016
Dominican Summer League: Juniors split doubleheader
By Adam Morissette
Baseball Canada
BOCA CHICA, DR – The Junior National Team split a doubleheader today in two close contests as the Dominican Summer League Camp passed the halfway mark.
The morning game saw Jack DeCooman (North Vancouver, BC) strikeout 10, while Jordan Balazovic (Mississauga, Ont.) fired four scoreless innings as the juniors beat the New York Mets Dominican squad, 2-1.
The afternoon match-up saw the Los Angeles Dodgers Dominican team break a 3-3 tie with two runs in the eighth as they went on to a 5-3 victory. Clayton Keyes (Calgary, Alta.) highlighted the offence with a solo home run in the second inning.
The Junior National Team’s record now sits at 5-4 with five games remaining on the trip.
GAME ONE INFORMATION
Score: Canada (U-18) 2 DSL Mets 1
Location: New York Mets Dominican Complex – Boca Chica, DR
Weather: 30 degrees Celsius, Mostly Cloudy
Canada 18U Starting Lineup:
1. Dondrae Bremner - SS
2. Noah Naylor - DH
3. Adam Hall - DH
4. Andrew Yerzy – DH
5. Clayton Keyes - CF
6. Tyler Duncan – RF
7. Steven Moretto – 3B
8. Edouard Julien – 2B
9. Victor Cerny - C
10. Luke Van Rycheghem – DH
11. Terrell Rogers - LF
12. Robbie Holmes – 1B
Starting Pitcher: LHP Jack DeCooman
HOW IT HAPPENED
- A lead off walk came around to score in the bottom of the first for the Mets after a stolen base and a two-out RBI single to left to put the home team up by one.
- The juniors mounted a comeback and took the lead with a pair of runs in the eighth. Tyler Duncan (Sooke, BC) and Keyes led off the frame with back-to-back singles before a fielder’s choice left runners on the corners with two out. Victor Cerny (Winnipeg, Man.) then chopped a ball to the right side where the Mets second baseman threw wildly to first allowing Cerny to reach base and Keyes to score easily from third. Back-to-back walks followed to Luke Van Rycheghem (Kent Bridge, Ont.) and Terrell Rogers (Aldergrove, BC) and all of sudden the juniors held a 2-1 lead.
JNT HIGHLIGHTS
- JNT starter DeCooman turned in a quality performance on the mound getting plenty of swings and misses from Mets hitters as he registered 10 strikeouts over five innings of work. After a walk and RBI single in the first, he scattered just three hits and walk the rest of the way.
- Reliever Balazovic was equally as effective as he tossed four scoreless innings without allowing a hit and giving up just one walk. He struck out four.
- Noah Naylor (Mississauga, Ont.) and Keyes both paced the offence with 2-for-4 performances at the plate accounting for half the Junior National Team’s eight hits.
- Terrell Rogers singled in the third and his walk in the eighth with the bases loaded scored what turned out to be the game-winning run.
TEAM LEADERS
Hits: 2, Naylor (2/4), Keyes (2/4); 1, Bremner (1/4), Duncan (1/3), Van Rycheghem (1/2), Rogers (1/2)
Runs: 1, Keyes, Julien
RBIs: 1, Rogers
Stolen Bases: 1, Keyes
Strikeouts: 10, DeCooman; 4, Balazovic
GAME TWO INFORMATION
Score: DSL Dodgers 5 Canada (18U) 3
Location: Los Angeles Dodgers Dominican Complex – Boca Chica, DR
Weather: 30 degrees Celsius, A few clouds
Canada 18U Starting Lineup:
1. Cooper Davis - CF
2. Noah Naylor- C
3. Adam Hall - SS
4. Andrew Yerzy – DH
5. Clayton Keyes - LF
6. Tyler Duncan – RF
7. Jason Willow – 2B
8. Dondrae Bremner – 3B
9. Edouard Julien – DH
10. Michael Stovman – DH
11. Terrell Rogers - DH
12. Soren Graversen – 1B
Starting Pitcher: RHP Sam Turcotte
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Keyes put the juniors out to an early 1-0 lead as he jumped all over a fastball and sent it well beyond the trees over the left field wall for a solo home run in the top of the second.
- The Dodgers got the run back in the home half of the inning as the used a walk and stolen, with an error on the throw, and another walk to put runners on the corners with one out before executing a double steal that brought the runner in from third.
- The Dodgers took the lead in the third as they used a walk and double to put runners on second and third before a sac-fly to centre brought in the runner from third.
- The seesaw affair continued in the fourth as Keyes drew a one out walk and used his speed to score all the way from first when Tyler Duncan doubled to right.
- Things got off to a rough start for reliever William Sierra (Montréal, Que.) who took over for Turcotte in the sixth and gave up a lead off double before throwing two wild pitches that scored the tying run.
- With two out in the eighth, an infield single followed by a walk put two runners on for the Dodgers before a triple to centre brought both runners in to put the home team up 5-3.
JNT HIGHLIGHTS
-Sam Turcotte (Toronto, Ont.) kept the string of solid pitching performances going with five solid innings of work. He allowed just one earned run, two hits and three walks, while fanning five batters.
- Keyes joined the home run club, along with teammate Adam Hall (London, Ont.) who hit one, when he socked a fastball over the wall in left in the second inning.
- Naylor had two singles and went 2-for-4 for the second consecutive game, while Cooper Davis collected a bunt single in the first and a single in the third.
- Duncan reached base in all four of his plate appearances. In addition to his RBI double in the fourth, he also walked twice and was hit by a pitch that scored a run with the bases loaded in the sixth.
TEAM LEADERS
Hits: 2, Davis (2/4), Naylor (2/4); 1, Keyes (1/2), Duncan (1/2), Willow (1/3), Bremner (1/2)
Runs: 2, Keyes; 1, Hall
Doubles: 1, Duncan
Home Runs: 1, Keyes
RBIs: 2, Duncan; 1, Keyes
Stolen Bases: 1, Bremner
Strikeouts: 5, Turcotte; 3, Sierra
UP NEXT
The juniors will travel back to Boca Chica next for an 11am ET game against the Seattle Mariners Dominican squad…RHP Carson Perkins (Bienfait, SK) is scheduled to start on the mound … You can get live updates by following @Team_C_Updates on Twitter.