Begin, De Grandpre, Bergeron lead Quebec to win over Futures

Quebec centre fielder Nicolas Tremblay was 1-for-2 with an RBI on Thursday at T12 before he was lifted from the game after being hit in the head with a throw while attempting to steal third base. Photo Credit: Nikolas Marsiglio

By Ryan Cuneo

Canadian Baseball Network

TORONTO, ON – Simon Menier had two RBIs, while Cedric De Grandpre and Jason Begin scored two runs each as Quebec defeated the Futures team 7-4 in the second round-robin game of the T12 Tournament at Rogers Centre.

Quebec’s LHP starter Antoine Jean earned the win, and Viktor Bergeron pitched both the sixth and seventh inning to get the save. Lefty Matthew Wilkinson took the loss for the Futures.

Future’s starter Conor Pote escaped a difficult first inning but couldn’t prevent Quebec scoring in the second. Jason Begin smoked a no-out double over the left fielder’s head to drive home Cedric De Grandpre from second for the first run of the game. Pote proceeded to hit a batter and give up a single to Tristan Aspeck to load the bases. After consecutive sacrifice flies and a strikeout of second baseman Gilbert, Pote escaped the inning with his team down 3-0.

The Futures team struck back in the bottom of the second. After two straight one-out walks given by Jean, Elijah Hammill laced a triple into the left centre gap to cash both base runners. Hammill came home to score on a ground out to second to tie the game at three runs apiece.

In the top of the fourth, Aspeck generated a run all by himself. After working a walk and stealing second base, he stole third and came home to score on an errant throw, giving Quebec a 4-3 lead. A scary moment came later in the inning, with centre fielder Nicolas Tremblay getting hit in the top of the head with a throw during a steal of third base. He was forced to leave the game and was replaced by Justin Humenay.

“I was just ready to sit on the bench and support my teammates,” Humenay said following the game. “Coming in nervous and not getting a chance for the legs to get warmed up is not ideal.”

Despite the adverse circumstances, and being a Yankees fan rather than a Blue Jays fan, Beaconsfield’s Humenay was thrilled at the opportunity to play in a big-league park.

“Honestly this is unbelievable,” he said. “Back home the fields don’t even have stands, so you come in here and everything is just beautiful.”

Quebec extended their lead to three runs in the top of the fifth before Homer Bush Jr., son of former Major Leaguer and Blue Jay Homer Bush, got one back for the Futures in the bottom half.

Quebec added an insurance run in the top of the sixth and right hander Viktor Bergeron pitched a scoreless sixth and seventh to secure the win for Quebec.

Both teams will play their second games Saturday, with the Futures playing the Prairies at 10:00 a.m. and Quebec taking on the Atlantic at 3:00 p.m.