May 19, 2017

By Adam Morissette

Baseball Canada

BOCA CHICA, DR – The Junior National Team smacked out 12 hits but left 10 runners on base as they suffered a 10-6 loss to the New York Mets prospects to open the Dominican Summer League schedule.

GAME INFORMATION

Score: DSL Mets 10 Canada (18U) 6
Location: New York Mets Dominican Complex – Boca Chica, DR
Weather: 28 degrees Celsius, partly cloudy

Canada 18U Starting Lineup:

1. Cooper Davis - CF
2. Adam Hall - DH
3. Noah Naylor - C
4. Clayton Keyes - RF
5. Edouard Julien – 2B
6. Jason Willow – SS
7. Dondrae Bremner – EH
8. Michael Stovman – 1B
9. Archer Brookman - EH
10. Lucas Parente - LF
11. Damiano Palmegiani – 3B

Starting Pitcher: RHP William Sierra

HOW IT HAPPENED

-The Mets opened the scoring in the bottom of the second on a three-run homer that left the park in left field. Starter William Sierra (Montréal, Que.) tossed a perfect first inning but issued back-to-back walks in the second before allowing the home run.
-The juniors answered back in the fourth as Clayton Keyes (Calgary, Alta.) walked with one out and moved into scoring position by stealing second before scoring on an Edouard Julien (Québec City, Que.) single to centre.
-Sierra recorded two quick outs in the fourth before allowing back-to-back singles only to see one run score on an error before a successful double steal put the Mets up by four.
-Cooper Davis (Mississauga, Ont.) led off the sixth with a triple to right and scored when Adam Hall (London, Ont.) lined a single to left in what was the first of a two-run inning. Hall then moved to second on a Keyes single before advancing to third on a wild pitch. Hall then scored when Julien grounded out to the Mets’ first baseman.
-Things didn’t start off well for reliever Eric Cerantola (Oakville, Ont.) who took over for Sierra to start the sixth as he allowed four consecutive singles that brought in one run before a bases loaded walk brought in another.
-The juniors didn’t not give up as they pushed across three runs in the seventh with Michael Stovman (Maple Ridge, B.C.) driving in a run on a double to left before Rhys Cratty (Langley, B.C.) added an RBI single, while Damiano Palmegiani (Surrey, B.C.) had an RBI ground out.
-The comeback attempt took a hit in the seventh as a two-run double and an RBI single with two out gave the Mets a four-run cushion that they would not relinquish.

JNT HIGHLIGHTS

-Nine different Junior National Team players recorded hits with Jason Willow (Victoria, B.C.) and Michael Stovman collecting two apiece, including a double with both coming as part of a three-run seventh inning.
-Left fielder Lucas Parente (Burlington, Ont.) made a diving catch in the fifth to help starter William Sierra record his second perfect inning of the contest.
-This is the 17th consecutive year that the Junior National Team program has participated in the Dominican Summer League. The first trip in 2001 featured current Junior National Team coach Shawn Bowman on Team Canada’s roster. The highlight of that trip was a no-hitter tossed by then 17-year-old Adam Loewen against a prospects squad from the Pittsburgh Pirates organization. One year later, Loewen became the highest Canadian-born player to be taken in the MLB Draft as the Baltimore Orioles used the fourth overall selection on the left-hander.

TEAM LEADERS

Hits: 2, Willow (2/4), Stovman (2/2); 1, Davis (1/3), Hall (1/4), Keyes (1/2), Julien (1/3), Bremner (1/3), Parente (1/2), Cratty (1/1)
Runs: 1, Davis, Hall, Keyes, Willow, Bremner, Stovman
Doubles: 1, Willow, Stovman
Triples: 1, Davis
RBIs: 2, Julien; 1, Hall, Stovman, Brookman, Palmegiani
Stolen Bases: 1, Willow, Keyes, Bremner, Naylor
Strikeouts: 4, Cerantola; 2, Sierra

UP NEXT

The juniors will play a doubleheader on Saturday beginning at 10:30 am E.T. when they take on the DSL Cubs followed by a 2:30 p.m. game against the DSL Yankees...LHP Wesley Moore (Surrey, B.C.) gets the start in the first game, while RHP Landon Leach (Pickering, Ont.) will start the second...Live updates available by following @Team_C_Updates on Twitter.