Jones, Naylor go deep as Juniors tie and win in DH against Ft. Lauderdale
Ontario Blue Jays INF Myles Naylor (Mississauga, Ont.) hit a two-run homer.
April 14, 2022
Baseball Canada
The Junior National Team warmed up for future spring training games against first and second-year pros from the Houston Astros and Washington Nationals with a pair of games on Thursday.
The Juniors battled the Fort Lauderdale Stars -- composed of independent, ex-collegiate and at times former pro players -- to an 8-8 tie in the opener. Then, won the nitecap by a 10-7 score.
The Juniors are holding daily workouts and playing a 12-game schedule including six games against prospect squads from the Astros and Nationals organizations.
Canada 8, Ft. Lauderdale Stars 8 GAME ONE BOX SCORE
Myles Naylor (Mississauga, Ont.) belted a two-run homer off the batter’s eye in centre field in the fifth inning as part of a 3-for-3 game at the plate while Dylan O’Rae (Sarnia, Ont.) had three hits, including a double with two RBIs and a stolen base as the Junior National Team played the Fort Lauderdale Stars to an 8-8 tie
The game featured three recent Junior National Team alums with Nate Ochoa (Burlington, Ont.), who belted a fifth inning grand slam, and Caleb Clark (Orillia, Ont.) suiting up for the Stars while Micah Bucknam (Abbottsford, BC) pitched for the juniors.
Josh Jones (Blainville, Que.) also hit a two-run homer.
Canada 10, Ft. Lauderdale Stars 7 GAME TWO BOX SCORE
Joshua Jones (Blainville, Que.) smacked a two-run homer while Cameron Chee-Aloy (Toronto, Ont.), Sam Shaw (Victoria, BC) and Hugh Pinkney (Etobicoke, Ont.) each drove in two runs as the Junior National Team beat the Stars, 10-7.
With the Stars taking an early 3-0 lead in the top of the first on a three-run homer, the juniors got two in the home half of the inning with Shaw scoring on a passed ball while Pinkney drove in a run on a single up the middle.
With two out and two runners on in the second, Chee-Aloy doubled to left to plate two before Shaw followed with a single up the middle to score one.
After the Stars took a one run lead after scoring four in the fifth, Shaw collected his second RBI of the game with a double to centre and scampered home on a wild pitch with with the go ahead run.
Jones put the finishing touches on the win with a two-run homer to left in the sixth inning.
*Note: The Stars provided all of the pitching for both teams in both games of the doubleheader.