JNT Extended Spring: Scott, Makarus star for juniors in loss to Nats prospects
Ryan Scott (Quispamsis, NB) hurled two scoreless innings in relief for the Canadian Junior National Team Thursday in their 7-1 loss to a team of Washington Nationals prospects. Photo: Baseball Canada
April 18, 2019
By Adam Morissette
Baseball Canada
WEST PALM BEACH, FL--- The Junior National Team opened the annual extended spring training camp on Thursday with a match-up against a prospects squad from the Washington Nationals organization and came away with a 7-1 loss.
Ryan Scott (Quispamsis, N.B.) fired two scoreless innings on the mound while Ayden Makarus (Airdrie, Alta.) came up with a pinch-hit, RBI double in the eighth to plate the only Junior National Team run of the ballgame.
GAME BREAKDOWN
-The National came out swinging in the bottom of the first using a lead off single off Canada starting pitcher Theo Millas (Burnaby, BC) followed by a triple and sac fly to take a 2-0 lead after one inning.
-Millas worked a scoreless second inning including a pair of strikeouts before a pair of singles in the third both came around to score on and error and a hit-by-pitch with the bases loaded as the Nationals added to their lead.
-Keegan Pulford-Thorpe (Newmarket, ON) took over on the mound in the fourth and found himself in some trouble early as a single and a pair of walks loaded the bases before a sac fly to right field put the Nationals in front, 5-0.
-The Nationals scored another run in the fifth before doubles from Joshua Walker (Victoria, BC) and Ayden Makarus in the eighth put the Junior National Team on the scoreboard.
-Justin Thorsteinson (Langley, BC) worked the eighth and ninth innings and allowed a run in the eighth on a two-out, RBI double.
Offensively, the juniors received doubles from Makarus, Walker and Elijha Hammill (Oakville, Ont.) while Jaden Brown (Mississauga, Ont.) and Eric Martin (Kitchener, Ont.) had singles. Jaden Brown and Dasan Brown (Oakville, Ont.) each stole a base.
UP NEXT
The juniors will continue their extended spring training schedule on Friday against a prospects squad from the Houston Astros’ organization with the first pitch set for 2:15 p.m. E.T....LHP Antoine Jean (Montréal, Que.), LHP Connor O’Halloran (Mississauga, Ont.) and RHP Jack Seward (Port Moody, BC) are all expected to see action on the mound.