Cuba starting pitcher Eddisbel Valentin pitches during the opening game of the 2010 World Junior Baseball Championship at Port Arthur Stadium in Thunder Bay, Ontario on Friday, July 23, 2010. THE CANADIAN PRESS/ Thunder Bay Chronicle Herald - Sandi KrasowskiSandi Krasowski/The Canadian Press
With tournament favourites Cuba and Korea lurking, Canada is taking its impressive opening win at the World Junior Baseball Championships with a grain of salt.
Brandon Dailey knocked a three-run home run in the second inning as Canada handily won its first game in the tournament, beating the Netherlands 9-2 Friday night.
Dailey went just 1 for 5 on the day, but picked up three RBIs, two runs and a stolen base.
Canada played aggressively both offensively and defensively and spread the offence around as seven starters got at least one hit.
It won't be as easy when Canada takes on the tournament heavies later.
"We understand who we were playing, and who we have next to play," said Canada's Dalton Pompey. "We're always going to have the same intensity, but we have to know that this team wasn't as good you could say as Cuba or Korea will be."
Canada starting pitcher Jesen Dygestile-Therrien (1-0) allowed one run on three hits. He struck out three and walked two.
Pompey went 3 for 3 including a single, a double, and a home run, and had two RBIs. He also had two walks and a run on the night.
"It's great feeling get the first win," Dailey said. "Gets us started in the tournament on a good note, that's for sure."
Kellin Deglan and Justin Atikinson picked up a run each, and Jimmy Ralph picked up two.
Dutch lefty Scott Ronnenbergh (0-1) gave up four runs on eight hits and two walks before getting pulled after just two innings.
Reginald Bomberg took over on the mound for the Netherlands in the third inning, allowing just one hit and striking out eight over 3 1/3 innings.
"I'm very happy about my performance, but we lost," said Bomberg. "The first two innings killed us. We can't handle that."
Canada jumped out of the gates with three runs in the top of the first inning. Pompey drove in Dailey, Philip Diedrick sent Deglan home on a single, and Jelan Harris followed with an RBI double.
Aggressive play cost Canada a chance at more runs. Emmanuel Forcier, Pompey, and Diedrick were all caught trying to squeeze out extra bases at second, third, and home plate in succession.
"I can live with that, especially on an opening night," said Canada manager Greg Hamilton. "A lot of times you come out tentative and you're feeling your way through and that never works out. I'll take it on the other side."
The Netherlands answered back in the bottom of the inning on a Nick Urbanus double that drove in Roy Seltenrijch to make it 3-1.
Canada scored four more in the second, including Dailey's three-run homer over the left-field scoreboard.
In the fourth, Jimmy Ralph crossed the plate on an error and Forcier ran home on a wild pitch to make it 9-1.
Rashid Gerard had a solo shot into the scoreboard for the Netherlands in the bottom of the sixth to double the Netherlands' score.
Joel Pierce came in for relief of Dygestile-Therrien in the seventh, and quickly got into a hole walking both Bayron Cornelisse and Daniel Arribas. Canada turned a 4-6-3 double play on a grounder from Seltenrijch, but left Cornelisse on third. Pierce struck out Urbanus to save the inning.
Netherlands Manager Brian Farley said his team wasn't used to the calibre of play Canada displayed.
"I think we played tremendous defence considering," Farley said. "We don't face that kind of pitching consistently enough. We have to make adjustments in our timing, and do a better job of putting on more pressure on offensively."
The Netherlands faces two-time defending champion Korea (0-0) on Saturday at 12:30 p.m. Canada faces Cuba (1-0), which beat Panama 10-0 during Friday's action.
Also Friday, Australia was awarded a 9-0 forfeit win over Venezuela, which pulled out of the tournament less than 24 hours before the opening pitch was thrown.