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 This game was close for seven innings, and Team Canada led 4-3 after five innings. The Astros took the lead for good in the sixth when they jumped on reliever Shawn Heatherington for two runs on four hits. (Heatherington got the loss, and has an ERA of infinity so far in the tournament.) The game ended with the mercy rule in the bottom of the eighth when the Astros scored seven runs off Josh Brink, including a pinch-hit home run by Jay Landers and a three-run home run by Donnie Ecker (a Lewis-Clark State alumnus) that ended the game.
The Team Canada effort was also seriously damaged by Astro reliever James Johnson, who shut out Team Canada over the last 3 2/3 innings, allowed only two hits, struck out five, and got the win. SS Sammie Starr started the game with a double. He scored the first run when CF Brent Muirhead reached on a error. Muirhead came in on an RBI single by C Ben Torrie. Team Canada's remaining runs came in the fifth inning; RF Jon Syrnyk hit an RBI single, and Torrie drew a walk with the bases loaded for an RBI. Unfortunately, Team Canada left the bases loaded. Torrie was 2-3 for the game, and Starr was 2-4. 2B Alex White made the defensive play of the game in the second inning. He made a dive to deep behind second base to keep a ball hit by 2B Cisco Melendez from going into center field. He managed to get up and throw a strike to first base to get the out. DH Abraham Fernandez drew walks his first two times at bat, and grounded out the third time. He was picked off at first after the second walk. Scott Webster started for Team Canada, and was pulled in the third inning after walking five batters. He was relieved by Geoff Burke, who was sharp. He allowed two hits in 2 2/3 innings, struck out three. Eric Brown replaced Heatherington with two on and nobody out. He got out of the inning with no further damage, and pitched two hitless innings. Additional GFI news: There was no lip-synching in the opening ceremony. Box score and play-by-play  Comments (0) |  Add as favourites (82) | Views: 310
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