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It was short and sweet.
Three games. Three wins.
One berth in the 2006 Olympic qualifier in Cuba next August.
Team Canada thumped Panama 15-5, in it's toughest game yet, Thursday in Phoenix, Az. to move to 3-0 in the Olympic regional qualifier, along with Team USA.
With the 3-0 starts, both Team USA and Canada is guaranteed spots in Cuba which lead to the 2008 Olympics in Bejing.
RHP Chris Begg (Uxbridge, Ont.) pitched five innings for the win, while CF Sebastien Boucher (Ottawa, Ont.) had three hits and knocked in four runs; SS Kevin Nicholson (Surrey, BC) had three hits and knocked in a run; CF Jeff Ware (Guelph, Ont.) had a pair of hits and an RBI and 2B Stubby Clapp (Windsor, Ont.) did what Stubby usually does ... although it's been a while since he's had two triples in one game.
In all, Clapp went 5-for-5 with a double, two triples and two singles and three RBIs.
Canada started its run with a four spot in the second inning as 1B Scott Thorman (Cambridge, Ont.) worked a 10-pitch walk to open the inning. After a walk to Ware, 3B Todd Betts (Scarborough, Ont.) singled to load the bases. DHJoey Votto (Etocicoke, Ont.) hit a bouncer to third and Thorman was thrown out at the plate.
Boucher singled to right scoring two runs and Nicholson Nicholson singled to centre chasing starter Michael Wenham.
Clapp greeted Rolando Herrera with a squeeze for a 4-0 lead.
With one out in the third, Ware singled to centre and Votto walked two two out. Boucher then singled home Ware.
With a 5-2 lead in the fourth, Canada added three more runs as Clapp tripled to left and scored on a Russell Martin Jr. (Montreal, Que.) single. One out later, Martin stole second and scored on a Lee Delfino (Mississauga, Ont.) single. Ware doubled home Delfino, who replaced an injured Thorman in the lineup, for an 8-2 lead.
Three more in the fifth put Canada up 11-2 as Boucher drew a lead-off walk and one-out later scored on a Clapp triple to centre. Clapp scored on an error and Ryan Radmanovich (Calgary, Alta.) homered to centre.
Then Canada went ahead 14-3 when Ware doubled and two outs later scored on a Boucher double. Nicholson singled to right. Then, Clapp had a run-scoring single. Martin was hit by pitch and Radmanovich walked to drive in a run.
Canada added its final run in the ninth when Ware walked, Betts reached on an infield single and Votto hit a ground-rule double to left.
Canada faces Mexico Friday at 3:05 at the Maryvale Sports Complex in Phoenix. LHP Adam Loewen (Surrey, BC) starts Saturday against Team USA. The Mexican came can be found at on the net (and it is available in real time at www.milb.com) and the Team USA game will be broadcast over the net.
Pete LaForest (Gatineau, Que.), Danny Klassen (Leamington, Ont.) and Justin Moreanu (Surrey, BC), all former members of Team Canada programs who live in Arizona have been regulars at the games.
Panama wouldn't go quietly, however. Down 14-3 going in the seventh, the Panamanians scored twice when Audes de Leon hit a two-run shot to left-centre off of RP T.J. Burton.
After Begg pitched five innings, allowing three runs -- two earned -- on three hits, while striking out a pair of hitters. RPs Eric Cyr (Montreal, Que), Chris Mears (Victoria, B.C.) and Aaron Myette (New Westminster, B.C.) all pitched in relief.
Panama used six pitchers over the course of the game. Starter Mike Wenham was tagged with the loss after giving up four earned runs on four hits and two walks in only 1 1/3 innings.
Linescore |
Canada | 041 | 333 | 001 | -- | 15 | 21 | 4 |
Panama | 002 | 010 | 200 | -- | 5 | 11 | 3 |
W: C. Begg (1-0); L: M. Wenham (0-1).
HR: CAN: R. Radmanovich (1). PAN: J. Alonso (1).
Boxscore
Canada |
| | AB | R | H | RBI | Avg. |
Nicholson | SS | 6 | 1 | 3 | 1 | .500 |
Clapp | 2B | 5 | 2 | 5 | 3 | .583 |
Rogelstad | 2B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
Martin, | R | C | 5 | 1 | 2 | 1 | .222 |
Radmanovich | RF | 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | .250 |
Thorman, | S | 1B | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .286 |
Delfino | 3B | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | .333 |
Ware | LF | 4 | 4 | 3 | 1 | .417 |
Betts | 3B-1B | 6 | 1 | 2 | 0 | .154 |
Votto | DH | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | .417 |
Boucher | CF | 5 | 3 | 3 | 4 | .667 |
2B: Clapp (1, Wenham), Ware 2 (2, Gonzalez, Ortega), Boucher (1, Ortega), Votto (1, Ramirez).
3B: Clapp 2 (2, Herrera, Ortega).
HR: Radmanovich (1, 5th inning off Ortega, 0 on, 2 out).
TB: Nicholson 3; Clapp 10; Martin, R 2; Radmanovich 4; Delfino; Ware 5; Betts 2; Votto 2; Boucher 4.
RBI: Boucher 4 (5), Nicholson (2), Clapp 3 (5), Martin, R (1), Delfino (1), Ware (3), Radmanovich 2 (4), Votto (1).
2-out RBI: Boucher 2; Radmanovich 2; Clapp; Votto.
GIDP: Rogelstad.
Team LOB: 12.
SB: Martin, R (1, 2nd base off Gonzalez/Munoz).
E: Delfino 3 (3, fielding, fielding, throw), Betts (1, missed catch).
Outfield assists: Radmanovich (De Leon at 2nd base).
DP: 2 (Radmanovich-Nicholson, Nicholson-Rogelstad-Betts).
Panama |
| | AB | R | H | RBI | AVG |
Asprilla | DH | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | .429 |
De | Leon | 1B | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | .500 |
Alonso | 1B | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | .500 |
Agnoly | RF | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .308 |
Herrera | LF | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .308 |
Iglesias | 3B | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .154 |
Munoz | C | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .273 |
Quintero | PH-C | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
Jaen | 2B | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | .500 |
Lasso | SS | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
de | Leon | CF | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | .429 |
2B: Asprilla (1, Begg, C), De Leon (2, Begg, C).
HR: Alonso (1, 7th inning off Burton, 1 on, 0 out).
TB: Asprilla 3; De Leon 4; Alonso 4; Agnoly; Jaen 2; de Leon 2.
RBI: Asprilla (3), De Leon (4), Alonso 2 (2).
Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Iglesias; Asprilla.
GIDP: Lasso.
Team LOB: 7.
E: Herrera (1, throw), Iglesias (1, missed catch), Agnoly (1, fielding).
DP: 2 (De Leon, Jaen-Lasso-Alonso).
Canada |
| IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
Begg, C, W | 5.0 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 3.60 |
Cyr | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.00 |
Burton | 1.0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 7.71 |
Mears | 1.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
Myette | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.00 |
Panama |
| IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
Wenham, L, | 1.1 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 27.00 |
Herrera | 1.2 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 19.29 |
Gonzalez | 0.1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 27.00 |
Julio | 0.2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
Ortega | 1.2 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 37.80 |
Ramirez | 3.1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1.93 |
Pitches-strikes: Begg, C 70-52, Cyr 8-6, Burton 23-15, Mears 12-8, Myette 17-9, Wenham 42-24, Herrera 36-24, Gonzalez 10-5, Julio 4-4, Ortega 42-23, Ramirez 58-37.
Ground outs-fly outs: Begg, C 7-6, Cyr 1-1, Burton 1-1, Mears 3-0, Myette 1-1, Wenham 2-2, Herrera 0-4, Gonzalez 0-0, Julio 1-1, Ortega 0-4, Ramirez 7-1.
Umpires: HP: Chris Griffith. 1B: David Buck. 2B: Scott Barry. 3B: Luis Gonzalez.
Weather: 76 degrees, sunny.
Wind: 5 mph, In from CF.
T: 2:59.
Att: 119.
Scores
Day 1
Team USA 23 Guatemala 0
Canada 3, Nicaragua 0
Panama 17, Mexico 4
Day 2
Team USA 5, Mexico 4
Canada 12, Guatemala 0
Nicaragua 6, Panama 1
Day 3
Canada 15, Panama 5
Team USA 7, Nicaragua 4
Mexico 5, Guatemala 2
Standings |
| W-L | Pct. | GB | |
Canada | 3-0 | 1.000 | - |
Team USA | 3-0 | 1.000 | - |
Mexico | 1-2 | .333 | 2.0 |
Nicaragua | 1-2 | .333 | 2.0 |
Panama | 1-2 | .333 | 2.0 |
Guatemala | 0-3 | .000 | 3.0 |
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