JNT SPRING: Calabrese goes deep in tie with Stars
Ontario Blue Jays OF David Calabrese (Maple, Ont.) (right), shown here with Ontario Terriers INF Elijha Hammill, homered for the Canadian Junior National Team in their 3-3 tie with the Fort Lauderdale Stars on Monday. Hammill also had two hits. Photo: Baseball Canada
March 9, 2020
By Adam Morissette
Baseball Canada
SAINT PETERSBURG, FL--- David Calabrese (Maple, Ont.) drilled a solo home run in the seventh inning while Joshua Jones’ (Blainville, Que.) RBI double in the bottom of the ninth scored the tying run as the Junior National Team played to a 3-3 tie with the Fort Lauderdale Stars.
Drew Lawrence’s (London, Ont.) ninth inning two-out triple to right field brought Jones to the plate and he delivered a line drive to left that went for a double to tie the score.
Elijha Hammill (Oakville, Ont.) contributed a two-hit performance, including a double in the bottom of the first while starting pitcher Will Watson (Brampton, Ont.) tossed three scoreless innings allowing just one hit and one walk to go along with one strikeout.
GAME BREAKDOWN
With the game scoreless after three innings, Hammill got things going in the fourth with a one out single to right field before stealing second base and scoring later in the inning on a wild pitch.
The Stars drew even in the fifth when a one out walk issued by reliever Maddux Mateychuk (Dominion City, Man.) advanced to third on a single before scoring on an ensuing fielder’s choice.
In the sixth, the Stars managed the bases loaded on a single and pair of walks before a wild pitch brought in the go-ahead run as they carried a 2-1 lead into the seventh inning.
Mateychuk ended his day tossing 2 1/3 innings, allowing two runs on two hits and three walks while registering a pair of strikeouts.
With one out in the seventh, Calabrese lifted a 1-0 pitch over the wall in right field before the Stars regained the lead on an RBI single after a lead off error and wild pitch put a runner into scoring position.
Giordano Mezzomo (Coquitlam, BC) didn’t allow an earned run over 2 2/3 innings on the mound and had three strikeouts while allowing a walk and a hit.
UP NEXT
The Junior National Team will be back in action tomorrow (1 p.m. E.T.) at Baseball City in St. Petersburg with the Fort Lauderdale Stars once again providing the opposition…Pitchers Simon Lusignan (Varennes, Que.), Vic Domingo (Vancouver, BC) and Caleb Clark (Orillia, Ont.) are all expected to see action on the mound.