DSL: A win and tie in DH, thanks to Hall, Moore, Naylor, Sierra

May 24th, 2017

Dominican Summer League: Juniors top Mariners, tie Blue Jays

By Adam Morissette
Baseball Canada
BOCA CHICA, Dominican Republic – Adam Hall (London, Ont.) and Edouard Julien (Québec, Que.) combined to steal seven bases and score five runs as the Junior National Team earned a 7-2 win over the DSL Seattle Mariners.

In the afternoon contest, the juniors carried a four-run lead into the bottom of the ninth before the Blue Jays struck for four runs on five extra base hits and a fly ball as the game ended in a 6-6 tie.

The Junior National Team’s record now sits at 2-5-1 with four games remaining on the tour.

GAME ONE INFORMATION
Score: Canada (U-18) 7 DSL Mariners 2
Location: Ken Griffey Jr. Field – Boca Chica, DR
Weather: 32 degrees Celsius, Overcast

Canada 18U Starting Lineup:
1. Cooper Davis - CF
2. Adam Hall - RF
3. Edouard Julien – 2B
4. Noah Naylor – DH
5. Damiano Palmegiani – 1B
6. Michael Stovman – DH
7. Jason Willow – SS
8. Dondrae Bremner – 3B
9. Archer Brookman - C
10. Victor Cerny – EH
11. Lucas Parente - LF

Starting Pitcher: RHP Eric Cerantola

HOW IT HAPPENED
- It didn’t take long for the Junior National Team offence to kick it into high gear and it was leadoff hitter Cooper Davis (Mississauga, Ont.) who singled to right before Edouard Julien (Québec City, Que.) did the same with one out to put runners on first and second. Noah Naylor (Mississauga, Ont.) then bounced a ground ball between first and second which the Mariners second baseman fielded, but threw wildly to first. Davis and Julien scored while Naylor ended up on second. He scored the third run of the inning when Damiano Palmegiani (Surrey, BC) ripped a double to left.

- The Mariners got on the scoreboard in the fifth as back-to-back singles put a runner on third who scored a sac fly to left. On the second base hit, Adam Hall (London, Ont.), playing right field, dove for the ball that landed in front of his outstretched glove and fired to second to get the runner who was trying for a double. Cerantola was taken out of the game with two out and runners on first and second with William Sierra (Montréal, Que.) coming in. Sierra issued two wild pitches that brought in another Mariners’ run before Lucas Parente (Burlington, Ont.) made a nice sliding catch in left to end the inning.

- The juniors regained their three run lead with a pair of runs in the sixth. Adam Hall was hit by a pitch to lead things off before stealing second and third. Palmegiani then stepped to the plate a lined out to the pitcher who then threw wildly to third to try and double Hall off. Hall was able to scamper home before Michael Stovman (Maple Ridge, BC) lined a single to right that brought in Julien.

- Hall continued to make things happen on the bases in the eighth as he walked and stole second before scampering to third on the catcher’s throwing error. He scored on a wild pitch and Julien later crossed home plate for the third time in the game, also on a wild pitch.

- Cerantola and Sierra both were clutch when it mattered as Cerantola put up zeroes over his first four innings, while Sierra left two runners on two separate occasions.

JNT HIGHLIGHTS
- Cerantola escaped trouble in the third as he induced a pop out to second with the bases loaded. After getting to quick strikeouts to start the frame, he gave up a single, walked a batter and hit a batter to load the bases.

- The son of former Blue Jays infielder, Cesar Izturis, who goes by the same name as his father, was in the lineup for the Mariners and playing second base. The elder Izturis enjoyed a 13-year big league career and was an All-Star with the Dodgers in 2005.

- Hall was a menace on the base paths swiping four bases and scoring on a wild pitch in the eighth. His third steal of the game forced a bad throw from the Mariners catcher that allowed Hall to slide safely into third.

TEAM LEADERS
Hits: 2, Davis (2/4); 1, Julien (1/1), Palmegiani (1/3), Stovman (1/2), Cerny (1/3), Parente (1/4)
Runs: 3, Julien; 2, Hall; 1, Davis, Naylor
Doubles: 1, Palmegiani
RBIs: 2, Naylor; 1, Palmegiani, Stovman
Stolen Bases: 4, Hall; 3, Julien; 1, Palmegiani
Strikeouts: 7, Sierra; 4, Cerantola

GAME TWO INFORMATION
Score: Canada (U-18) 6 DSL Blue Jays 6
Location: Baseball City – Boca Chica, DR
Weather: 32 degrees Celsius, Mainly sunny

Canada 18U Starting Lineup:
1. Cooper Davis - CF
2. Adam Hall - SS
3. Edouard Julien – 2B
4. Noah Naylor – C
5. Michael Stovman - 1B
6. Jason Willow – 3B
7. Dondrae Bremner – DH
8. Archer Brookman – EH
9. Rhys Cratty - LF
10. Lucas Parente – RF
11. Damiano Palmegiani - EH

Starting Pitcher: LHP Wesley Moore

HOW IT HAPPENED
-  Davis led off with a walk and moved to second on an Hall base hit before a wild pitch advanced both runners. With one out, Naylor lifted a fly ball to left that allowed Davis to tag and score the game’s first run.

- The Jays responded in the bottom of the first with a run on a RBI triple down the right field line.

- In the third, Davis, Hall and Julien walked to load the bases before Naylor hit a ground ball that the first baseman misplayed that allowed two runs to score.

- A lead off triple to right scored on a base hit in the bottom of the sixth to pull the Blue Jays to within one.

- Bremner got into the act in the eighth as he led off with a single to centre, stole second base before moving to third on a ground out. A wild pitch brought him in to score.

- Davis led off the ninth with a single moved to third on Hall’s double to left-centre. After Davis scored on a wild pitch, Naylor drove in his third run of the game on a sac-fly to left.

- Three doubles, two triples and a sac fly led to four Blue Jays’ runs in the bottom of the ninth as they stormed back to tie the score.

JNT HIGHLIGHTS
- A lead off double to left was erased in the bottom of the third and Rhys Cratty (Langley, BC), Hall and Jason Willow (Victoria, BC) combined on a nice relay to nab the runner trying to stretch it into a triple.

- Starter Wesley Moore (Surrey, BC) turned in a quality starting surrendering just two runs over six innings pitched. He finished with seven strikeouts and retired eight batters in a row at one point.

- Hall continued his strong day with a 3-for-3 performance including a double in the ninth that got to the wall in left-centre.

TEAM LEADERS
Hits: 3, Hall (3/3); 1, Bremner (1/2), Davis (1/2), Julien (1/2)
Doubles: 1, Hall
Runs: 3, Davis; 2, Hall; 1, Bremner
RBIs: 3, Naylor
Stolen Bases: 1, Bremner, Parente
Strikeouts: 7, Moore; 1, Brown

UP NEXT
The juniors will travel to Santiago tomorrow for the annual contest against MLB Prospect League (2:30pm ET) featuring players eligible to sign with big league clubs on or after July 2nd, 2017 ... RHP Landon Leach (Pickering, Ont.) is the scheduled starting pitcher … You can get live updates by following @Team_C_Updates on Twitter.