Juniors open Dominican tour with win over Astros
Mid-Island Pirates’ Carter Cathers (Nanaimo, BC), from left, Toronto Mets Dante Smith (Ajax, Ont.) and Okotoks Dawgs’ Leo Cote (Ayer’s Cliff, Que.) led the Canucks
May 13, 2024
By Eugenio Matos
Baseball Canada
The Junior National Team won its first game of the Dominican Professional Academy Camp, besting the Houston Astros DSL team 6-3.
Canadian bats were hot from the start, scoring a run in the first inning and four in the second to go up 5-0 early in the game.
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Carter Cathers (Nanaimo, BC) and Dante Smith (Ajax, Ont.) were in the middle of the big four-run second for the Canadians. Cathers finished his day 1-for-2 with an RBI and a run scored, while Smith was 1-for-3 with a pair of RBIs.
Leo Cote (Ayer’s Cliff, Que.) led the charge offensively with a 2-for-3 performance including a solo home run in the top of the seventh to extend the lead to 6-1.
Langley Blaze Sean Duncan (Port Coquitlam, BC), left, Okotoks Dawgs Michael Yusypchuk (Edmonton, Alta.) and FieldHouse Pirates Aiden Taggart (Grimsby, Ont.)
Sean Duncan (Port Coquitlam, BC) dominated the Astros bats early, permitting only a hit and a walk, while striking out four over three scoreless. Michael Yusypchuk (Edmonton, Alta.) was the first arm out of the bullpen, working three innings of one run ball on three hits while striking out three.
Aiden Taggart (Grimsby, Ont.) worked the last three frames, picking up five strikeouts to secure the first win of the camp.