Designated Hitter Alexis Gravel’s solid performance led Team Navy to a 6–2 victory over Team Black in the initial game on day two of the Blue Jays’ Tournament 12, Thursday morning at the Rogers Centre.
The Repentigny, Que., native recorded a run, a hit, and two RBIs in four at bats.
It was in the fifth inning that an evenly-paced game turned into a landslide as Team Navy took over, scoring five runs.
Gravel had the strongest single-player sequence, connecting on an RBI single to allow Cambridge, Ont.’s Riley Silva and Oakville, Ont.’s Elijha Hammill.
He went on to score before stealing second and ultimately making it to home plate on a double by Matys Gagnon, of Lachine, Que., putting his team up 4–1.
Adding to the outburst, Hammill drove home Burlington, Ont.’s, Luis Primentel Guerrero, while Mississauga, Ont.’s Tyson Gomm hit a ground-rule double on a line drive to allow Gagnon to score.
Gomm earned Player of the Game honours and had three hits and an RBI in four at bats.
The top of the inning was ended only because the reliever, Mathieu Voros, of Anjou, Que., had reached the 30-pitch limit imposed in the tournament to preserve arms.
In the third inning, Silva hit the sacrifice fly out to left fielder Joshua Jones of Blainville, Que., driving Toronto’s Jake Bucovetsky home for the first run of the game.
Silva finished with one run, two hits, and an RBI in three at bats.
With two out in the bottom of the second, Team Black’s Drew Lawrence of Stratford, Ont., reached first on a throwing error by Navy pitcher Nelson Mercado, of Brampton, Ont.
Lawrence then stole second and, following a single on a ground ball by Jones, scored to tie the game at 1–1.
Calgary’s Jackson Clemett also scored for Team Black, striking a double in the bottom of the fifth before reaching home plate on a throwing error by Gomm.