JNT Extended Spring: Nats top juniors at Disney

April 19th, 2016

By Adam Morissette
Baseball Canada
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Florida – The Junior National Team was limited to just two hits against a group of prospects from the Washington Nationals organization that used nine hits to come away with a 6-1 victory.

GAME INFORMATION
Event: Extended Spring Training
Score: Washington Nationals 6 Canada (U18) 1
Location: ESPN Wide World of Sports – Lake Buena Vista, Florida

Canada U18 Starting Lineup:
1. Cooper Davis – DH
2. Edouard Julien - 2B
3. Dondrae Bremner - SS
4. Andrew Yerzy – EH
5. Noah Naylor – C
6. Steven Moretto – 3B
7. Brad Aldred – RF
8. Carter Loewen - EH
9. Luke Van Rycheghem – EH
10. Soren Graversen – 1B
11. Clayton Keyes - LF

Starting Pitcher: LHP Wesley Moore

HOW IT HAPPENED
- After two scoreless frames from JNT starter Wesley Moore (Surrey, BC) the Nationals opened the scoring in the third as they used a pair of hits and took advantage of two errors to plate two runs.

- In the fifth, a lead off single off JNT reliever Tim Walters (Gibsons, BC) came around to score on a one out double.

- The juniors put across their lone run of the game in the sixth as Tyler Duncan (Sooke, BC) walked with the bases loaded to score Carter Loewen (Abbotsford, BC). Loewen drew a lead off walk and moved to third on a Luke Van Rycheghem (Kent Bridge, Ont.) single before Soren Graversen (Calgary, Alta.) walked to load the bases.

- The Nats put the game out of reach in the ninth as they scored three runs on three singles and an error.

JNT HIGHLIGHTS
- Moore provided the juniors with three solid innings on the mound including two scoreless frames to start the game. Both runs in the third were unearned. Moore registered four strikeouts on the afternoon.

- Another bright spot on the mound was 15 year-old Jaden Griffin (Lower Sackville, NS) who spun two shutout frames where he allowed just one hit and one walk.

- Van Rycheghem and Brad Aldred (Whitby, Ont.) had the only Junior National Team hits on the afternoon.

TEAM LEADERS
Hits: 1, Aldred (1/3), Van Rycheghem (1/3)
Runs: 1, Loewen
RBI: 1, Duncan
Stolen Bases: 1, Davis
Strikeouts: 4, Moore; 3, Walters; 1, Leach

UP NEXT
The juniors will jump on the bus tomorrow morning and make the annual trek to Dunedin for a game against a prospects squad from the Toronto Blue Jays at the Bobby Mattick Complex … RHP Jordan Balazovic (Mississauga, Onnt.) is scheduled to start on the mound.