  Nick Weglarz. |
It took a while, like the final game of their spring trip, but 1B Nick Weglarz showed his No. 1 asset: Big-time power.
Weglarz turned on a 92 mile-per-hour fastball to pull a homer over the Atlanta Braves bullpen in deep right at Cracker Jack Stadium the ball landing in the employee parking lot Saturday as Team Canada beat the Braves extended spring training team 9-4.
The game concluded Team Canada's national junior team training camp at Disney's World of Sports in Lake Buena Vista, Fla.
The captive audience included cross-checkers from the Tampa Bay Devil Rays and the Washington Nationals.
Weglarz (Stevensville, Ont.) hit a two-run homer to give the Canadians a 2-0 lead in the top of the first.
LF Phil Carey (London, Ont.) who attends the Nick Nick Bollettieri School in Bradenton, Fla. had three hits.
Canada's Josue Peley (Montreal, Que.) hit a scoring fly in the fifth to break a 3-3 tie, knocking in Branson Joseph (Mississauga, Ont.). Patrice Gobbout-Ouellet (Quebec City, Que.) scored the other run for a 5-3 Canada lead.
Chris Dennis (Windsor, Ont.) singled to score Joseph and Peley grounded out to drive in another run and give Canada the 9-4 victory.
Drew Parker (Surrey, B.C.) allowed three unearned runs and six hits in four innings pitched. Parker walked one and struck out two to pick up the win.
Renaud Caron-Catelier (Montreal, Que.) worked next and gave up one run on four hits in four innings, fanning three batters.
Justin Robinson (Langley, B.C.) allowed one hit and struck out one batter in one inning.
RHP Kyle Orr (Victoria, B.C.), RHP David Francis (Mississauga, Ont.), RHP Mark James (Ajax, Ont.) and Weglarz had the most impressive weeks of the 31 players in camp.
For the Braves OF Adam Parliament (Penticton, BC) had a pair of hits, who have 68 players at extended spring.
Team Canada encountered some alumni along the way including: Sambu Ndungidi (Montreal, Que.) of the Houston Astros; Ivan Naccarata (Longeuil, Que.), Jonathan Malo (St-Roch-de-l'Achigan, Que.) of the New York Mets and
Jamie Romak (London, Ont.) with the Braves with extended spring teams and RHP Scott Mathieson (Aldergrove, BC) who is pitching for the Philadelphia Phillies Single-A affiliate at Clearwater dropped by for a visit.
Now, coach Greg Hamilton (Ottawa, Ont.) and his staff of Les McTavish (Lethbridge, Alta.) and Dennis Springenatic (North Delta, BC) will trim the 31-man roster for Team Canada's summer trip to the Dominican Republic and an exhibition series in Atlanta, Ga. in May.
