Canada qualifies for World Cup, loses to Panama, now plays for bronze
Langley Blaze RHP Theo Millas (Burnaby, B.C.) put up five zeroes before being touched for a pair of runs in the sixth as Panama edged Canada 4-2 which means Canada will play for bronze against the Dominican Republic. Photo Credit: Baseball Canada
Friday November 30, 2018
U18 World Qualifier: Canada to play for bronze after loss to Panama
By Adam Morissette
Baseball Canada
CHITRÉ, Panama – Some costly mistakes and missed opportunities hurt the Canadian Junior National Team as they fell, 4-2, to host Panama at the COPABE U18 Pan American Championships.
With the win, Panama will meet the United States for the gold medal on Sunday while Canada will play Nicaragua for bronze. The top four finish assures Canada a spot in the 2019 WBSC U18 Baseball World Cup in Gijang, South Korea.
Panama broke a 2-2 tie in the seventh when reliever Olivier Morin-Larocque (Québec, Que.) unleashed a wild pitch with a runner on third. Larocque had entered the game in the sixth with the bases loaded before a base hit and error by LF Blake Buckle (Milton, Ont.) brought in two runs to erase Canada’s 1-0 lead.
They went on to add an insurance run in the eighth when a ground ball with the infield pulled in was misplayed by second baseman LaRon Smith (Spruce Grove, Alta.) to go up by two.
Canada struggled offensively striking out 16 times and left 12 runners on base including the bases loaded in the first inning and failed to capitalize on a bases loaded, one out situation in the fifth.
Canada’s only runs of the game came when Smith singled and scored on an error in the fourth while Daniel Carinci (Ajax, Ont.) drove in Buckle with a fly ball in the sixth.
Canada starting pitcher Theo Millas (Burnaby, BC) provided five scoreless innings on the mound before getting into trouble in the sixth and being taken out of the game with the bases loaded. Millas allowed just two hits, walked three and struck out four batters.
UP NEXT: Canada will close out Super Round play tomorrow against the Dominican Republic at Rico Cedeño Stadium in Chitré with the first pitch set for 10AM ET.
Panama U18 4, Baseball Canada Junior National Team (18U) 2
123 456 789 R H E
PNM 000 002 110 -- 4 6 3
JNT 000 101 000 --- 2 7 2
BATTING
Panama U18
AB R H RBI BB SO LOB
Wright (SS 3 0 1 0 1 0 1
Fernandez (… 4 0 1 2 0 0 1
Herrera (DH… 3 0 0 0 1 0 1
Dela Cruz (RF 3 1 2 0 1 0 0
Crisp (C, 1B 3 0 0 0 0 2 5
Gonzalez (1… 3 0 0 0 1 2 5
Quinteno (3… 4 0 0 0 0 1 1
Suarez (2B, P 4 1 1 0 0 0 1
J Gonzale… 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Ortega (CF 3 2 1 0 1 0 0
Totals 30 4 6 2 5 5 4
2018 Canadian Junior National Team (18U)
AB R H RBI BB SO LOB
D Carinci (SS 4 0 1 1 0 2 0
B Naylor (C 3 0 0 0 2 1 2
O Diodati (1B 5 0 1 0 0 2 2
L Smith (2B 3 1 1 0 2 2 0
T Schofield… 4 0 2 0 1 1 2
C Valero (DH 4 0 0 0 1 3 4
B Buckle (LF 4 1 0 0 0 1 2
D Clarke (CF 4 0 1 0 0 3 2
D Brown (RF 3 0 1 0 1 1 2
Totals 34 2 7 1 7 16 12
TB: Dela Cruz 2, Wright, Ortega, Suarez, Fernandez, SAC: Crisp, CS: Dela Cruz, Wright, LOB: 4
TB: O Diodati, L Smith, D Carinci, D Brown, D Clarke, T Schofield-Sam 2, SF: D Carinci, SB: B Naylor, LOB: 12
PITCHING
Panama U18
IP H R ER BB SO HR
Saldana 4.0 2 1 0 4 9 0
Dominguez 1.1 1 1 0 2 1 0
Suarez 3.1 3 0 0 1 6 0
J Gonzalez 0.1 1 0 0 0 0 0
Totals 9.0 7 2 0 7 16 0
2018 Canadian Junior National Team (18U)
IP H R ER BB SO HR
T Millas 5.1 2 2 2 3 4 0
O Morin-Lar… 1.0 2 1 1 1 0 0
J Griffin 1.0 1 1 1 0 0 0
T Dearing 0.0 1 0 0 1 0 0
A Jean 1.2 0 0 0 0 1 0
Totals 9.0 6 4 4 5 5 0
WP: Saldana, P-S: Dominguez 18-10, Saldana 91-54, J Gonzalez 4-4, Suarez 64-41, WP: Saldana, BF: Dominguez 7, Saldana 19, J Gonzalez 2, Suarez 14
LP: O Morin-Larocque, P-S: J Griffin 25-15, T Dearing 9-4, A Jean 21-14, O Morin-Larocque 20-12, T Millas 76-48, WP: O Morin-Larocque 2, T Millas, BF: J Griffin 5, T Dearing 2,