April 27th, 2017

Extended Spring Training: Juniors edge Jays

By Adam Morissette
Baseball Canada
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Florida – Pitching continued to be the story for the Junior National Team at extended spring training and this time it paid off with a 2-1 win over a group of pro prospects from the Toronto Blue Jays organization.

Harley Gollert (Toronto, Ont.) and Ben Abram (Georgetown, Ont.) each went four innings with the Jays scoring an unearned run in the sixth, while Michael Stovman (Maple Ridge, BC) earned the save with a scoreless ninth.

GAME INFORMATION
Score: Canada (U-18) 2 Toronto Blue Jays 1
Location: ESPN Wide World of Sports – Lake Buena Vista, Fla.

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

Starting Pitcher: LHP Harley Gollert

HOW IT HAPPENED
- The juniors broke a scoreless affair in the bottom of the fourth and it was Lucas Parente (Burlington, Ont.) who got things going with a leadoff single to left before stealing second and moving to third on a passed ball. Denzel Clarke (Pickering, Ont.) then grounded a full count pitch to second and was credited with an RBI groundout.

- Later in the inning, with Adam Hall (London, Ont.) standing on second after a walk and stolen base, Noah Naylor (Mississauga, ON) singled on a line drive to right field that brought Hall home.

- A double followed by an error led to the only Blue Jays run of the game that scored with one out in the top of the sixth.

JNT HIGHLIGHTS
- Gollert was in control from the start getting a 1-2-3 frame in the first before getting out of a mini jam with a groundout to short to leave runners on first and second.

- Abram picked up right where Gollert left off and finished his four-inning outing by retiring the last eight hitters he faced before Stovman tossed a perfect ninth to preserve the win.

- The juniors only came up with four hits on the afternoon but made up for it on the base paths with four stolen bases including two in the fourth with both leading to runs scored.

TEAM LEADERS
Hits: 1, Julien (1/3), Naylor (1/3), Willow (1/1), Parente (1/2)
Runs: 1, Hall, Parente
RBI: 1, Clarke, Naylor
Stolen Bases: 1, Clarke, Hall, Naylor, Parente
Strikeouts: 3, Abram; 1, Stovman

UP NEXT
The juniors will be back at ESPN Wide World of Sports tomorrow for a 1pm ET contest against a prospects squad from the Atlanta Braves organization … RHP Jake English (London, ON) is expected to start on the mound.