HOLYOKE, Mass. – Josh Fellhauser’s two-out RBI single capped a three-run sixth inning that propelled the 2008 USA Baseball National Trials Team to a 7-2 victory Friday night over the Holyoke Blue Sox of the New England Collegiate Baseball League at MacKenzie Stadium. The U.S. team improves to 2-0 during the trials portion of its competition.
Fellhauser (Cal State Fullerton; Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.) walked and later scored on a single by Kentrail Davis (Tennessee; Theodore, Ala.) in the top of the first inning. That scored held until the red, white and blue scored three runs, two of which came with two outs, on four hits in the sixth.
Shaver Hansen (Baylor; Grand Junction, Colo.) plated the first run on a sacrifice fly. Matt den Dekker (Florida; Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) followed with an RBI single; he then stole second and scored on Fellhauser’s single up the middle.
The U.S. squad put the game away with a three-run eighth. Christian Colon (Corona, Calif.) ripped a two-run double down the left-field line and later scored on a wild pitch. Holyoke answered with a run in the bottom of the inning but could get no closer. Steve Lombardozzi tripled to lead off the inning and later scored on Corey Jones’ sacrifice fly.
Pitching continued to be a strong suit for the National Trials Team as five pitchers combined to hold Holyoke to two runs, one earned, on five hits with 11 strikeouts. The staff’s scoreless innings streak ended at 15.1 as the Blue Sox scored an unearned run in the seventh.
Starter Stephen Strasburg (San Diego State; San Diego, Calif.) earned the victory in a predetermined 3.0-inning start. He did not allow a run, scattering a single and a walk with four strikeouts.
Bryan Morgado (Tennessee; Miami, Fla.), Andrew Oliver (Oklahoma State; Vermillion, Ohio), Kendal Volz (Baylor; Bulverde, Texas) and Kevin Rhoderick (Oregon State; Scottsdale, Ariz.) combined to finish the game. Volz was touched for both runs.
Colon, Davis, den Dekker, Derek Dietrich (Georgia Tech; Parma, Ohio), Fellhauser and Blake Smith (California; Modesto, Calif.) all enjoyed two-hit nights. Fellauser and den Dekker each scored twice.
The National Trials Team returns to action Saturday, traveling to Lynn, Mass., to face the North Shore Navigators of the NECBL. First pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m. EDT at Frasier Field.
