Hassall, Griffin, Bergeron, Sparks shine on mound in loss to Nationals
Right-hander Griffin Hassall (Newmarket, Ont.) got the start for the Canadian Junior National Team on Thursday and allowed just one earned run in three innings to a team of Washington Nationals prospects. Photo Credit: Baseball Canada
April 19, 2018
JNT EXTENDED: Pitching shines in loss to Nationals
By Adam Morissette
Baseball Canada
WEST PALM BEACH, Florida – The Junior National Team opened the annual extended spring training camp today at The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches today taking on a prospects squad from the Washington Nationals organization.
The planned 11-inning contest saw the Nationals keep the juniors off the scoreboard to come away with a 3-0 win.
Pitching was the story of the game for the Junior National Team as they sent four hurlers to the mound and each leaving the mound with a strong effort.
Starter Griffin Hassall (Newmarket, Ont.) tossed three innings and allowed just one earned run to his professional counterparts while reliever Jaden Griffin (Lower Sackville, N.S.) had the same fate. Victor Bergeron (Terrebonne, Que.) delivered three scoreless innings and Connor Sparks (Saskatoon, Sask.) finished with two.
SCORING
-After a scoreless first inning, the Nationals opened the scoring in the home half of the second inning, plating a run on a two-out single to right field.
-A one-out error in the third followed by a fly out to right that saw the runner tag and move to second set the stage for a single to right that plated another Nationals run.
-The Nats strung together three consecutive base hits to start the home half of the fourth and used a sac fly to left to go up by three. Jaden Griffin managed to get two additional fly outs to limit the damage.
QUICK HITS
-In the fourth, a double from Nicolas Tremblay (Mont St-Hilaire, Que.) and a single off the bat of Denzel Clarke (Pickering, Ont.) put runners on the corners before Tremblay was tagged out at home on a double steal.
-Cesar Valero (Calgary, Alta.) had a pair of hits on the afternoon while newcomer Owen Diodati (Niagara Falls, Ont.) and TJ Schofield-Sam (Brampton, Ont.) each collected singles.
UP NEXT
The Junior National Team will be back in action on Friday taking on a Houston Astros prospects squad at The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches with the first pitch set to fly at Noon E.T…RHP Ben Abram (Georgetown, Ont.) is the scheduled starter for the Junior National Team.