Juniors fall to U.S. in selection camp
Right-hander Ben Abram (Georgetown, Ont.) pitched two scoreless innings for the Canadian Junior National Team on Monday. Photo Credit: Baseball Canada
By Adam Morissette
Baseball Canada
WEST PALM BEACH, Florida – Team USA erased an early 1-0 deficit scoring six runs on 10 hits to hand the Junior National Team a 6-2 loss in exhibition play at FITTEAM Ballpark of the Palm Beaches on Monday.
Both countries are finalizing rosters for the COPABE U-18 Pan American Championships that get underway on Friday, November 23rdin Santiago and Chitré, Panama.
Canada opened the scoring in the first when LaRon Smith (Spruce Grove, Alta.) bounced into a double play with the bases loaded that brought in Daniel Carinci (Ajax, Ont.) from third base. Carinci drew a walk to lead off the game and moved to third on back-to-back singles from Bo Naylor (Mississauga, Ont.) and Owen Diodati (Niagara Falls, Ont.).
Canadian starter Ben Abram (Georgetown, Ont.) worked two scoreless innings and had one strikeout before giving way to Justin Thorsteinson (Langley, BC) in the third.
Thorsteinson allowed back-to-back singles to open the frame that put runners on the corners before a sac-fly to centre pulled the US even.
Tate Dearing (White Rock, BC) took over on the mound in the fifth and sat the US down in order before suffering some tough luck in the sixth. With two out and a runner on third, a bad hope on an otherwise routine grounder ended up in right field for a base hit and brought in the fourth runs of the game for USA.
A leadoff triple in the bottom of the seventh off reliever Connor O’Halloran (Mississauga, Ont.) scored on a base hit for the fifth USA run of the game before an RBI single later in the frame made it 6-1.
Canada didn’t go down quietly using a pair of walks and sac bunt in the ninth to get runners in scoring potion before Jayden Knight (Langley, BC) scampered home on a wild pitch.
Notes: The Junior National Team will put a wrap on Selection Camp tomorrow with a 1 p.m. E.T. game against the Fort Lauderdale Stars...RHP Theo Millas (Burnaby, BC), LHP Keegan Pulford-Thorpe (Newmarket, Ont.), LHP Jaden Griffin (Newmarket, Ont.) and RHP Connor Sparks (Saskatoon, Sask.) are all expected to see action...Tomorrow evening, Baseball Canada will announce the 20-player roster that will compete in the COPABE U-18 Pan American Championships from November 23 to December 2 in Panama.
Selection Camp Schedule:
11/15 Canada 7, Palm Beach State College 4
11/16 Canada 3, vs Fort Lauderdale Stars 1
11/17 Canada 3, USA 8
11/19 USA 6, Canada 2
11/20 Canada vs Fort Lauderdale Stars 1PM ET
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