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With runners on the corners in the bottom of the first inning against the Czech Republic Friday night, Canada鈥檚 Johnny Baker struck out on just three pitches.

With two on in the bottom of the third, however, the 19-year-old from Kitchener, Ont., made up for it, crushing a Jakub Petrik offering off the Aquafina tent in centre-field for his first home run of the Junior Men鈥檚 World Softball Championship.

The bomb pushed Canada鈥檚 lead to 4-0 and the game ended two innings later, with Canada securing its first win of the tournament 7-0.

鈥淚鈥檝e dreamt my whole life of hitting a home run like that,鈥� Baker told the Star post-game. 鈥淲hen it went out of the park, just hearing the crowd sent shivers down my spine.鈥�

Baker, who is playing first base for Canada, is a member of the Stratford Cubs, who qualified for nationals earlier this season.

His hit broke the game wide open, after both teams had spent the first two innings struggling to get the ball out of the infield.

Matt Wardrop from Owen Sound, Ont., threw a one-hitter for the Canucks en route to a shutout.

Wardrop used his dropball, riseball and changeup effectively, with the majority of his pitches coming in at over 60 mph.

He would finish with two strikeouts and two walks.

鈥淚 was just trying to keep them off-balance as best I could and I was hitting my spots well,鈥� said the Teeswater Otters star. 鈥淢y dropball was going down good and mixing in the changeups helped too.鈥�

Getting the call to start the tournament opener was a tremendous confidence boost, Wardrop said.

鈥淚t鈥檚 probably the most exciting feeling I鈥檝e ever had,鈥� the 18-year-old admitted. 鈥淥pening it up for Canada and representing my country is just a dream come true.鈥�

In the top of the fifth, centre-fielder Matt Pilon of Duck Lake, Sask., made a sensational game-ending catch at the wall to rob the Czechs of a home run and keep Wardrop鈥檚 shutout bid intact.

鈥淢att鈥檚 been one of our best pitchers and he deserved to start in the first game,鈥� said head coach Jim Jones. 鈥淗e鈥檚 a good dropball pitcher and we have good defence, so that was one of our main reasons to start him.鈥�

Tyler Pauli of Mitchell, Ont., scored the game鈥檚 first run after opening up the third inning with a triple. He would reach home on a double from Taylor Schubada.

Schubada, a catcher from Irma, Alta., recorded three hits in the win. He also chipped in defensively, throwing out a Czech player attempting to steal second in the fourth.

Pauli finished with two runs on two hits, while Samuel Bedard-Desmarais of Nicolet, Que., chipped in with a single, an RBI and two runs.

Saskatoon鈥檚 Curtis Piecowye scored Canada鈥檚 other run.

Jones said it took his players three innings to get the world-championship jitters out.

鈥淭hese kids play in front of 50 people at home,鈥� he said. 鈥淭o have a crowd here cheering them on 鈥� they鈥檙e pumped up. They want to do well, so sometimes they swing at bad pitches 鈥� but they did pretty good tonight.鈥�

The game provided a healthy dose of positive energy, helping to build some early momentum for the host squad, Jones added.