Baseball Canada – DUNEDIN, Florida – Cooper Davis (Mississauga, ON), Clayton Keyes (Calgary, AB) and Andrew Yerzy (Toronto, ON) each homered while Jordan Balazovic (Mississauga, ON) and Ben Abram (Georgetown, ON) combined for seven shutout innings on the mound as the Junior National Team won their first game of extended spring training by a score of 9-4 over a prospects squad from the Toronto Blue Jays organization.

GAME INFORMATION

Event: Extended Spring Training
Score: Canada (U18) 9 Toronto Blue Jays 4
Location: Bobby Mattick Complex – Dunedin, Florida

Canada U18 Starting Lineup:

1. Cooper Davis – CF
2. Adam Hall – SS
3. Noah Naylor – 3B
4. Andrew Yerzy – EH
5. Luke Van Rycheghem – DH
6. Clayton Keyes – EH
7. Dondrae Bremner – EH
8. Jason Willow – 2B
9. Michael Stovman – 1B
10. Isaac Deveaux – LF
11. Tyler Duncan – RF

Starting Pitcher: RHP Jordan Balazovic

HOW IT HAPPENED

-The juniors jumped out in front scoring three runs in the top of the second that saw Andrew Yerzy lead off the frame with a solo homer before Clayton Keyes and Dondrae Bremner (Toronto, ON) walked and singled, respectively and came around to score on a Jason Willow (Victoria, BC) sacrifice fly and a Michael Stovman (Maple Ridge, BC) RBI single.
-It was Luke Van Rycheghem (Kent Bridge, ON) who came up clutch in the fourth as his two out, two run single put the juniors up by five. Adam Hall (London, ON) and Noah Naylor (Mississauga, ON) had both hit one out back-to-back singles.
-In the sixth, Cooper Davis joined the home run parade as he belted a solo shot with one out in the inning and Clayton Keyes came up with a three run blast in the seventh to put the juniors in front, 9-0.
-The Jays made three interesting in the ninth as they used three consecutive singles off reliever William Sierra (Montréal, QC) to plate their first run of the game before a three run homer brought them to within five of the lead.

JNT HIGHLIGHTS

-JNT starter Jordan Balazovic was tremendous over four innings of work, as he did not allow a run or a hit and struck out six batters.
-Reliever Ben Abram picked up right where Balazovic left off as he spun three shutout frames, scattering three hits, while fanning one batter.
-The three home runs highlighted the juniors’ fourteen hit attack that saw five different batters record multi-hit games including Cooper Davis, Noah Naylor, Andrew Yerzy, Dondrae Bremner and Michael Stovman.

TEAM LEADERS

Hits: 2, Davis (2/4), Naylor (2/3), Yerzy (2/3), Bremner (2/4), Stovman (2/3); 1, Hall (1/4), Van Rycheghem (1/3), Keyes (1/2), Julien (1/3)
Runs: 2, Naylor, Yerzy, Keyes; 1, Davis, Hall, Bremner
Doubles: 1, Naylor, Stovman
Home Runs: 1, Davis, Keyes, Yerzy
RBI: 3, Keyes; 2, Van Rycheghem; 1, Davis, Yerzy, Willow, Stovman
Stolen Bases: 1, Keyes
Strikeouts: 6, Balazovic; 2, Sierra; 1, Abram

UP NEXT

The extended spring training camp returns to ESPN Wide World of Sports tomorrow when the juniors take on a prospects squad from the Houston Astros organization at 1pm ET…LHP Jack DeCooman (North Vancouver, BC) is scheduled to start on the mound.

Adam Morissette
Media/PR, Baseball Canada
Work: 613-748-5606
Mobile: 613-862-0256
Email: media@baseball.ca