September 24, 2022

By Kevin Glew

Canadian Baseball Network

Angelo Franco (Burnaby, B.C.), Calvin Warrillow (Toronto, Ont.) and Brodey Bitove (Toronto, Ont.) had two hits apiece and Keaton Cottam (Milton, Ont.) scored two and knocked in two to lead Team Grey to a 12-6 win over Team Navy in the final game of round-robin play at the Canadian Futures Showcase at Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton Park in Ottawa on Saturday.

The game, which had an 8 a.m. start time, was originally scheduled for Friday night, but was postponed due to a power outage at the stadium.

Team Navy opened the scoring when Eric Hartman (St. Albert, Alta.) drew a bases loaded walk off Team Grey starter Noah Bourgeois (Surrey, B.C.). That would represent the only time Team Navy would hold the lead in the contest.

Team Grey tied the game in the top of the second, but it wasn’t until the final four innings that their offence really exploded, scoring at least two runs in each of those frames.

Of Team Grey’s 10 hits, just two went for extra bases - a Warrillow double in the second and a Veer Wadhwani (Toronto, Ont.) triple in the seventh. Their offence was aided by 10 walks from the Team Navy pitchers, including eight from Tiki Braham (Streetsville, Ont.) in his two-inning relief appearance.

Team Navy also benefited from some wildness from Team Grey hurlers who walked 12.

Bourgeois started and got the win for Team Grey. He struck out six batters and allowed one run on one hit in three innings. He also walked four.

Left-hander Sean Duncan (Port Coquitlam, B.C.), who at 14 is the youngest player in the tournament, started for Team Navy and permitted just one hit and struck out three without walking a batter.

Adyn Schell (Toronto, Ont.) was saddled with the loss for Team Navy after he relieved Duncan and allowed three runs (two earned) on four hits in two innings.

Hartman was the hitting star for Team Navy, going 2-for-2 with two RBIs, two walks and a stolen base. Simon Baker (Cochrane, Alta.), who clocked the second fastest time in the 60-yard dash on Scout Day, also had a hit, a run and two stolen bases for Team Navy.

This game wrapped up the tournament’s round-robin schedule. There will be no championship round.

On Saturday, the final day of the Canadian Futures Showcase, there will be a Home Run Derby at 11 a.m. and a Prospects Game at 2 p.m.