Juniors down D-Backs at World Cup Qualifier Selection camp
Junior National Team infielder Tyrus Hall (Victoria, BC) prepares to play against the Arizona Diamondbacks DIL squad on Tuesday. Photo: Baseball Canada
October 25, 2022
Baseball Canada
The Junior National Team defeated the Arizona Diamondbacks DIL squad 3-2 in an exhibition game on Tuesday in preparation for the WBSC Americas U-18 Baseball World Cup Qualifier.
The game was dominated by good pitching from both clubs. Three Junior National Team pitchers combined to allow just two hits. They were backed by a strong defensive performance from their teammates.
Ty Doucette (Dartmouth, N.S.) and Cardel Dick (Abbotsford, BC) smashed back-to-back doubles in the first inning to give the Juniors an early 3-0 lead. Doucette would finish the day 1-for-3 with an RBI, while Dick finished the day 1-for-1 with a pair of RBIs.
The Diamondbacks responded with two runs in the bottom half of the first inning against starter Parker Burgess (Douro-Dummer, Ont.). But the Canadian righthander bounced back to hold his opponents scoreless in the second and the third, finishing the day with four strikeouts in three innings.
Makaio Cisneros (Whitby, Ont.) was the first out of the bullpen. He didn’t allow a hit in three scoreless innings. Jack Pineau (Thunder Bay, Ont.) then came in for the three-inning save and made quick work of the D-Backs, allowing only one hit and a walk while striking out a pair.
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From October 24 to November 1, the Junior National Team program will play eight games against seven different MLB Professional Academies in the Dominican Republic.
The exhibition contests are in preparation for the WBSC Americas U18 Baseball World Cup Qualifier that will take place in La Paz and Cabo San Lucas, Mexico from November 4 to November 14.
The top four countries in the 12-team tournament will earn a spot in the 2023 WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup in Tainan, Taiwan.