TAIPEI, TAIWAN – The Senior National Team took a step in the right direction to start things off in their exhibition schedule in Australia with a 2-1 win over the Perth Heat.

The pitchers were the story of this game as four Canadian pitchers combined to hold the Heat to four hits in this ballgame.

James Avery (Moose Jaw, SK) threw the first five innings for the Canadians, allowing only one hit and one walk with one strikeout in his outing.

“I think I did pretty well. My curveball was coming along toward the end. I just want to make sure I get everything going before we go to Taiwan,” says Avery.

All of the offence in this game came in the sixth inning. The Heat took the lead in the top half when Andrew Kyle hit an RBI double to score Allan De San Miguel to give the Heat the 1-0 lead.

But the Canadians came right back in the bottom half. Matt Rogelstad (New Westminster, BC) led off the inning with a double. After moving over to third on a sacrifice fly, he came around to score on Mike Saunders (Victoria, BC) RBI single to tie the game. Saunders then came in to score the go ahead run on a bloop single from Nick Weglarz (Stevensville, ON).

“I had two strikes on me and then all I wanted to do is put the ball in play and luckily it fell in,” says Weglarz.

A good defensive play stopped the Heat from tying things up in the seventh inning. Matt Kennelly hit a single into left field where Weglarz fielded the ball and threw it in immediately to Rogelstad at second base, cutting off Kennelly who was trying to stretch his hit to a double.

In the meantime, Lachlan Dale tried to score on the play, but Rogelstad threw a strike to catcher Chris Robinson (Dorchester, ON) and tagged out Dale at the plate to end the inning.

From there, Mike Johnson (Edmonton, AB) came in on the mound and shut the door on the Heat offence. He threw two perfect innings, striking out three in his outing.

“We had very good pitching today,” says SNT Field Manager, Terry Puhl. “Avery did a great job and I'm very happy with Johnson with the way he controlled the game at the end. Our hitting was a little rusty, but I'm very pleased with our performance.”

The Senior National Team continues its exhibition schedule against the Perth Heat on Thursday, November 1 at 6:30 pm at the Stadium in Perth.

André Cormier
Manager, Media/Public Relations
Baseball Canada
613-748-5606
media@baseball.ca

BASEBALL CANADA – 31 October 2007