Team USA defeats China 7-1

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FROM CBB NEWS SOURCE
(TORRINGTON, Conn.) – Five pitchers combined for 22 strikeouts, and Hunter Morris (Auburn; Huntsville, Ala.) broke a scoreless tie with a three-run home run as the USA Baseball National Trials Team defeated the Chinese National Team 7-1 Wednesday night at Fuessenich Park. The National Trials Team improved to 5-2 with the win.

Stephen Strasburg (San Diego State; San Diego, Calif.), who pitched at Fuessenich Park while with the Torrington Twisters of the New England Collegiate Baseball League last summer, was dominant in a predetermined 4.0-inning start. Strasburg retired all 12 batters he faced with 10 strikeouts, but the game was still scoreless when he left.

Morris broke the scoreless tie in the bottom of the fifth. Kentrail Davis (Tennessee; Theodore, Ala.) and Blake Smith (California; Modesto, Calif.) got things going with consecutive two-out singles. Morris followed with a homer just to the right of the batters’ eye in center field.

That made a winner of reliever Chance Ruffin (Texas; Austin, Texas), who struck out the side in the fifth. The Chinese National Team broke up the perfect game in the sixth as Li Lei led off with a home run to left off reliever Drew Pomeranz (Mississippi; Collierville, Tenn.). In his first appearance with the National Trials Team, Pomeranz went on to strikeout the next six batters.

The Americans added to their lead with two runs in the bottom of the sixth. Matt den Dekker (Florida; Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) had an RBI single, and Davis drew a bases-loaded walk. In the seventh, the Americans pushed their lead to 7-1 on RBI singles by Mike Leake (Arizona State; Fallbrook, Calif.) and Christian Colon (Cal State Fullerton; Corona, Calif.).

Kevin Rhoderick (Oregon State; Scottsdale, Ariz.) pitched a scoreless eighth inning and allowed one hit with one strikeout. Smith worked a scoreless ninth, allowing two infield singles with two strikeouts.

Colon, Morris, Derek Deitrich (Georgia Tech; Parma, Ohio) and Josh Fellhauer (Cal State Fullerton; Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.) all had two-hit nights for the Americans.

The National Trials Team concludes its tour through the NECBL Thursday, facing the Newport Gulls at Cardines Field in Newport, R.I. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m. EDT.