Gollert, Abram, Leach allow two earned runs in loss to Jays
Harley Gollert (Toronto, Ont.), an Ontario Blue Jay, allowed one unearned run in three innings.
March 30th, 2017
JNT Spring Training: Errors cost juniors in loss to Blue Jays
By Adam Morissette
Baseball Canada
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – The Junior National Team committed six errors on defence and failed to generate much offensively as a group of Toronto Blue Jays prospects left the Walter Fuller Complex with a 5-1 win.
GAME INFORMATION
Score: Toronto Blue Jays 5 Canada (U-18) 1
Location: Walter Fuller Complex – St. Petersburg, Florida
Weather: 27 degrees Celsius, Sunny
Canada 18U Starting Lineup:
1. Cooper Davis - CF
2. Adam Hall – SS
3. Noah Naylor - DH
4. Clayton Keyes - EH
5. Michael Stovman – 1B
6. Archer Brookman – C
7. Dondrae Bremner – 3B
8. Jason Willow – RF
9. Edouard Julien – 2B
10. Lucas Parente - LF
11. Denzel Clarke - EH
Starting Pitcher: LHP Harley Gollert
HOW IT HAPPENED
- A two-out single to centre scored a run for the Blue Jays in the top of the first but it could have been worse for starter Harley Gollert (Toronto, Ont.) and the rest of the Junior National Team. After Gollert hit the first batter of the game, an error by first baseman Michael Stovman (Maple Ridge, BC) on a pick off attempt moved the runner to second before a stolen base put him on third. The juniors caught a break when third baseman Dondrae Bremner (Toronto, Ont.) fielded a chopper and threw home to get the runner who was moving on contact. Later, with runners on second and third and one out, Adam Hall (London, Ont.) caught a runner trying to move to third on a ground ball with Bremner applying the tag.
- In the fourth, Cooper Davis (Mississauga, Ont.) drew a one out walk and stole second to put himself in scoring position for Hall who delivered a single to centre to tie the score, 1-1.
- After a scoreless fourth, reliever Ben Abram (Georgetown, Ont.) allowed three consecutive one out hits including back-to-back doubles to left as the Blue Jays took a 3-1 lead.
- The Jays took a 5-1 lead in the seventh as they plated two runs after a pair of throwing errors. Reliever Landon Leach (Pickering, Ont.) allowed a lead off single before hitting the next batter to put runners on first and second. Hall did a nice job getting to a ball deep in the hole at shortstop but his throw to second sailed wide allowing one run to score before Leach’s throw over to first on a pick off attempt went over Stovman’s head at first that brought another run in.
RHP Big Ben Abram (Georgetown, Ont.) of the Ontario Terriers
JNT HIGHLIGHTS
- It wasn’t a squeaky clean outing from starter Harley Gollert but he managed to limit the Jays to one run (unearned) and three hits, while fanning four batters.
- Relievers Abram and Leach each tossed two scoreless innings as part of their three-inning outings. Abram recorded three strikeouts, while Leach had four.
RHP Landon Leach (Pickering, Ont.) of the Toronto Mets
- Junior National Team alum Owen Spiwak (2012, 2013) made trip from the Blue Jays minor league complex in Dunedin and was the starting catcher. Spiwak was selected by the Blue Jays in the 10th round of the 2015 MLB Draft out of Odessa (TX) College.
TEAM LEADERS
Hits: 1, Naylor, Hall, Cerny, Keyes, Brookman, Julien
Runs: 1, Davis
Doubles: 1, Keyes, Julien
RBI: 1, Hall
Stolen Bases: 1, Davis
Strikeouts: 4, Gollert, Leach; 3, Abram
UP NEXT
The Junior National Team will travel to Fort Myers tomorrow to take on a prospects squad from the Boston Red Sox organization with the first pitch set for 1pm ET … RHP William Sierra (Montréal, Que.) will start on the mound for Canada … Live tweets can be found on Twitter @Team_C_Updates.
Follow Junior National Team Spring Training
Facebook – facebook.com/baseballcanada
Twitter – twitter.com/baseballcanada
Instagram – Instagram.com/baseballcanada