RHP Cade Smith (Abbotsford, BC) threw three scoreless against the Detroit Tigers extended spring team. Photos: Eddie Michels.

April 26th, 2017

Extended Spring Training: Juniors, Tigers tie

By Adam Morissette
Baseball Canada
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – For the second time in as many games the Junior National Team played to a tie, this time 3-3 against a group of prospects from the Detroit Tigers organization.

Reliever Cade Smith (Abbotsford, BC) threw three scoreless innings allowing just one hit, while Lucas Parente (Burlington, Ont.) paced the offence with a double, RBI, stolen base and a run scored.

GAME INFORMATION
Score: Detroit Tigers 3 Canada (U-18) 3
Location: ESPN Wide World of Sports – Lake Buena Vista, Fla.

Canada 18U Starting Lineup:
1. Denzel Clarke – RF
2. Dondrae Bremner – 2B
3. Adam Hall – SS
4. Noah Naylor – 3B
5. Clayton Keyes – CF
6. Michael Stovman – DH
7. Damiano Palmegiani – 1B
8. Rhys Cratty - EH
9. Victor Cerny - C
10. Matthew Coutney - EH
11. Lucas Parente - LF

Starting Pitcher: LHP Wesley Moore

HOW IT HAPPENED
- Starter Wesley Moore (Surrey, BC) worked two scoreless innings before the Tigers scored a run with two out on a successful double steal of second and home. A one out walk followed by a single and a fly out to centre put runners on the corners for the Tigers.

- Parente got things going in the fourth as he led off with a walk and stole second to move into scoring position before scoring on a Pirates’ error.

- With two out in the sixth, reliever Garrett Nicholson (Sydney Mines, NS) walked two batters before a double to left scored both a the Pirates led by two.

- The juniors got one of the runs back in the bottom of the inning as Victor Cerny (Winnipeg, Man.) led off with a single and scored all the way from first when Parente doubled to centre.

- The juniors drew even in the eighth and it was Rhys Cratty (Langley, BC) who came through with a single on a hard hit ball to first base that brought in Clayton Keyes (Calgary, Alta.) from third.

JNT HIGHLIGHTS
- Pitching has been strength for the Junior National Team all week and it continued with the juniors holding the Pirates off the board in seven of nine defensive innings. Cade Smith led the way with three scoreless innings including a stretch where he retired eight in a row.

- Moore tossed scoreless frames in three of his four innings that included four strikeouts.

- The juniors rallied in the eighth as they loaded the bases before Cratty’s RBI single to tie the game. Keyes led off with a single before a pitch hit Michael Stovman (Maple Ridge, BC). Damiano Palmegiani (Surrey, BC) left singled on a groundball to left that advanced the runners.

TEAM LEADERS
Hits: 1, Bremner (1/4), Keyes (1/2), Palmegiani (1/2), Cratty (1/3), Cerny (1/2)
Runs: 1, Keyes, Cerny, Parente
RBI: 1, Cratty, Parente
Stolen Bases: 1, Keyes, Parente
Strikeouts: 4, Moore; 2, Smith; 1, Nicholson

UP NEXT
The juniors will be back at ESPN Wide World of Sports tomorrow for a 12pm ET contest against a prospects squad from the Toronto Blue Jays organization … LHP Harley Gollert (Toronto, ON) is expected to start on the mound.

A Tiger tie, thanks to Cratty, Moore, Parente, Smith