October 8, 2023

By Bob Elliott

Canadian Baseball Network

Gianluca Montanaro and Jorge Valdes each drove in a pair of runs as Canadian Premier rallied to beat the 643 DP Cougars 18U 6-5 in a walk-off win at Jupiter, Fla.

Skipper Jamie Romak (London, Ont.) saw his squad down 3-0, 5-2 and 5-4 before scoring a pair in the bottom of the seventh at the 25th annual 104-team Perfect Game World Wood Bat championship at Roger Dean Stadium and the St. Louis Cardinals and Miami Marlins minor-league complexes.

Toronto Mets 1B Montanaro (Aurora, Ont.) and former Ontario Blue Jay CF Valdes (Milton, Ont.) each singled in a pair of runs. Montanaro is batting .444 and Valdes is hitting .385, each through four games. It was Valdes, who delivered the game-winner with a single to centre field.

=========================================================================

Jupiter Day III: Jupiter III: Ainsworth, Brown, Duncan, Krahn, Lawson, Ricketts, Taggart

Jupiter, Day II: Cruickshank, Krahn, Lawson, Montanaro, Nori

Jupiter Day I: Bonilla, Glenn, Moore, Polanco-Ethier, Ricketts, Valdes

Jupiter advance

==========================================================================

Ontario Blue Jays RHP Anthony Unga and LHP Luca Alagheband both had scoreless outings. Unga restored order in the first after the Cougars scored three times against RHP Makaio Cisneros (Whitby, Ont.). Unga (Oakville, Ont.) pitched 1 1/3 innings without allowing a hit, walking two and fanning three. In his 28-pitch outing, he threw 46% strikes with his fastball at 90 mph. Cisneros gave up three runs -- two earned -- on two hits and three walks in 2/3 of an inning. He threw 39 pitches -- 49% strikes -- reaching 89 mph.

Alagheband (Toronto, Ont.) pitched a scoreless top of the seventh, setting up the bottom half heroics. He allowed a base hit and recorded a whiff in his 16 pitches -- 66% strikes -- and topped out at 86 mph.

C Brayden Ricketts (Brampton, Ont.), an Ontario Blue Jay, and Ontario Royals’ Cam Gravelle (Smithville, Ont.) each singled in a run, while 2B William Moore (Paris, Ont.) of the Great Lake Canadians, also singled.

Ontario Blue Jays RHP Will Hynes (Mississauga, Ont.) allowed two unearned runs in his three innings on two walks and three hits, as he struck out a pair. He threw 43 pitches -- 65% strikes -- topping at 87 mph.

* * *

A pair of Mississauga Tigers arms pitched Rawlings National Scout Team to a 6-4 victory over the Top Tier Roos Americans.

RHP Josiah Romeo and RHP Adyn Schell combined on the five-hitter as Rawlings scored five times in the first. Romeo (Caledon, Ont.) picked up the win, working four innings. He allowed four runs -- three earned -- on three hits and four walks. He fanned nine in his 85-pitch outing -- 61% strikes -- hitting 90 mph.

Schell (Toronto, Ont.) registered the save, pitching two scoreless, allowing two hits and a walk. He fanned five of the six outs he recorded, hitting 89 mph. He threw 46 pitches -- 60% strikes.

* * *

Okotoks Dawgs Leo Cote (Ste-Catherine-De-Hatley, Que.) went 3-for-3 as the Banditos Scout Team beat EBC 18U 7-3.

Cote also drove in a pair of runs. He is hitting .429 through three games.

* * *

Okotoks Dawgs RHP Michael Yusypchuk deserved a better fate, as the Brewers/Langley Blaze were edged 3-1 by the KC Royals Scout Team.

Yusypchuk (Edmonton, Alta.) pitched five innings, allowing three runs -- two earned -- on six hits. He struck out eight in his 80-pitch -- a whopping 75% strikes -- effort as he hit 89 mph.

Okotoks’ Benito Bonilla (Halifax, NS) doubled for one of Langley’s three hits.

* * *

Ontario Royals RHP Zev Salsberg pitched two scoreless as the CBU 2024 Scout Team lost 5-2 to the East Cobb/SD Padres ST Underclass.

Salsverg (Toronto, Ont.) left with the game scoreless as he allowed two hits and walked three. He fanned four in his 49-pitch outing -- 46% strikes -- as he hit 89 mph.

* * *

CF Dante Nori was 2-for-3 as the Canes National/NY Mets blanked the Top Tier Roos Americans 2024 13-0.

Nori (Toronto, Ont.) who now resides in Northville, Mich. also drove in a run.

* * *

Ontario Nationals LHP Braxton Mathews pitched 2 1/3 innings as Team Elite Prime lost 6-1 to Canes National/NY Mets Scout Team.

Mathews (Kitchener, Ont.) allowed two runs on four hits and three walks, while fanning two. He threw 41 pitches -- 53% strikes -- hitting 85 mph.

* * *

Former Ontario Blue Jay LHP Lachlan Harrison pitched one inning as GBSA Rays Premier lost 10-2 to the Baseball U Prospects. He pitched the sixth inning allowing one earned run with the Rays down 4-2.

Harrison (Mississauga, Ont.) gave up one hit and walked two in his 24-pitch outing -- 50% strikes -- as he hit 86 mph.