Canada stumble in loss to Aussies

21/08/2013

18U Warm-Ups at Gold Coast continues

by Baseball Canada

GOLD COAST, Australia-Australia struck for four runs in the fifth inning to take a commanding five-run lead as they went on to defeat the Canadian Junior National Team 8-5 in exhibition play.

With runners on second and third, in the fifth, an RBI single brought in the tying run and a sacrifice fly to centerfield scored a run from third to give them a lead that they would not relinquish.

Canada had opened the scoring in the top of the third when Demi Orimoloye (Orleans, ON) scored on a two-out single from Chris Thibideau (Dartmouth, NS) who picked up his first of three hits on the afternoon.

Orimioloye had led-off with a single to left-centre, advanced to second on a wild-pitch and made it to third on a passed ball before easily scoring on Thibideau’s single.

Starting pitcher Travis Seabrooke (Peterborough, ON) was in fine form through his first two innings of work striking out the side in the first before getting a strikeout and double-play with runners on first and second to end the second inning.

In the third however, Seabrooke got into trouble walking the bases loaded after two singles only to see the Aussies score three runs on a single and two walks.

Seabrooke rebounded in the fourth retiring the side with one strikeout to complete his four-inning outing with seven punch-outs.

Mitch Bigras (Sarnia, ON) came out of the bullpen for the fifth and gave-up three hits, while his defence committed one error which led to four runs crossing the plate.

The Maple Leafs made things interesting in the top of the sixth as Toby Handley (Whitby, ON), Chris Thibideau and Jake Lumley (Windsor, ON) all singled to load the bases before Josh Naylor (Mississauga, ON) grounded into a fielder’s choice with one out to score Handley.

A throwing error by the Australian third baseman allowed both Thibideau and Lumley to score to cut the lead down to two, but that’s as close as the junior’s would get.

The Aussies got one of the runs back in their half of the sixth when a run came in off reliever Daniel Procopio (Toronto, ON) on a sacrifice-fly to right.

Procopio settled in for the seventh and eighth innings allowing only one hit and ended his three-inning outing with two strikeouts.

Chris Thibideau picked up his third hit of the day in the eighth when he singled to centre with one out, but was left stranded after a strikeout and ground out.

As has been the case all week, the game was declared official after eight innings as both teams used the ninth to practice the IBAF tie-break rule in preparation for the 18U Baseball World Cup in Taichung, Taiwan August 30-September 8.

Box Score – Australia 8 JNT 5