Juniors fall to Cuba in doubleheader sweep

The Junior National Team lost both games of a doubleheader today as the Cuban 18U National Team improved to 3-0 in the nine-game Cuba Summer Series.

The Junior National Team outhit the Cubans in game one 9-7, but couldn’t overcome a four-run first inning and eventually fell by a score of 5-2.

In the evening contest, Cuba showed their quick strike offence once again as they scored five runs in the second inning highlighted by a bases loaded triple and went on to win 6-0.

Game one: Cuba 5 Canada 2

Cuba jumped on the Junior National Team in the top of the first scoring four times with starter Ben Onyshko (Winnipeg, MB) on the mound. After a lead-off single and stolen base, a bunt single put runners on the corners and one run came into count when catcher Darren Shred’s (Mississauga, ON) throw on a steal attempt bounced in the dirt away from shortstop Charles Leblanc (Laval, QC). After a walk and single brought in another run, Onyshko got a fly-out to right field for the first out before a double brought in two more runs.

Onyshko was able to calm the Cuban bats down in the second and third innings, including two of his four strikeouts on the game in the second, but he walked a batter and uncorked a wild pitch in the fifth that led to a run coming into count on a two-out double to right field putting the Cubans up by five.

LP Pelletier (Montréal, QC) had led-off the bottom of the first with a single to right field and Mitch Robinson (Surrey, BC) drew a one-out walk, but both runners were left on base after a deep fly-out to centre field off the bat of Josh Naylor (Mississuaga, ON) followed by a fly-out to right from Robert Byckowski (Georgetown, ON). Pelletier and Robinson were the only two hitters to reach base until Naylor singled with two out in the fourth.

After a one-hour rain delay, Keenan Williams (Vancouver, BC) took over on the mound for Onyshko and got three straight fly-outs to end the top of the fifth. Demi Orimoloye (Orleans, ON) then singled up the middle with one out and Charles Leblanc belted a ground-rule double that hopped over the fence in centre field. With runners on second and third, Tristan Clarke (Brampton, ON) squeaked a single through the left side that scored Orimoloye and Darren Shred (Brampton, ON) later followed with a liner to right that scored Leblanc to put the juniors on the scoreboard.

Williams came back out for the sixth and seventh frames holding the Cubans off the scoreboard and benefitted from some great defence with Cuban runners being thrown out at home plate in both innings.

The juniors threatened in the seventh following a Robert Byckowski walk and Charles Leblanc’s second double of the game to put runners on second and third, but both were left on.

Game two: Cuba 6 Canada 0

JNT starter Kyle Ross (Maple Ridge, BC) worked a perfect first inning but got into trouble early in the second allowing a lead-off single and a pair of walks to load the bases before a triple to centre cleared the bases. After a groundout made it 4-0 another run came in on a single, and Manager Greg Hamilton removed Ross from the game in favour of Zach Pop (Brampton, ON).

Pop managed to get out of the inning but loaded the bases with one out in the third where a fielder’s choice brought in a run from third to put Cuba up by six.

He went on to work scoreless frames in the fourth and fifth after giving up leadoff hits in each inning.

Brad Smith took over for Pop to start the sixth and got out of a two out jam with runners on the corners by picking off a runner at first that went for a caught stealing.

The juniors had their best chance to score back in the first inning but left the bases loaded after three walks and only managed two hits, a single to left field from Andrew Yerzy (North York, ON) in the second inning and a double to centre off the bat of Josh Naylor in the fourth.

Up Next: The series will continue tomorrow with one game scheduled to begin at 4pm EST at Victoria de Giron Stadium in Matanzas…RHP Colton Wood (Victoria, BC) is scheduled to start on the mound…Live game tweets from all Cuba Summer Series games will be available via Baseball Canada’s Twitter account, @baseballcanada. Daily game stories will be posted after each game on Baseball Canada’s official website, baseball.ca. Please see the schedule link below for game times.

Cuba Summer Series schedule:

0704 Canada 4 Cuba 11
0705 Cuba 5 Canada 2
0705 Canada 0 Cuba 6
0706 4pm
0707 4pm
0708 2pm/5pm
0709 2pm
0710 9am

All times eastern