FROM CBB NEWS SOURCE
(COLUMBIA, S.C.) – Kentrail Davis (Tennessee; Theodore, Ala.) blasted a three-run homer over the centerfield wall with two outs in the top of the eighth, igniting a late-inning rally that gave the USA Baseball National Trials Team a 7-2 victory over the Columbia Blowfish of the Coastal Plain League in Sunday night’s action at Capital City Stadium. The National Trials Team improved to 8-2 with the victory, its fifth in a row.
Davis, who leads the U.S. squad with six home runs and 19 RBI in 10 games, erased a 2-1 deficit with what proved to be the game-winning hit. The home run came on the first pitch of the at bat and sailed over the 22-foot wall in straight-away center, easily clearing the 395-foot sign atop the wall. Davis also broke his bat on the home run.
That made a winner of reliever Mike Leake (Arizona State; Fallbrook, Calif.), who allowed one hit with two strikeouts over 2.0 innings. A.J. Griffin (San Diego; El Cajon, Calif.) struck out the side in the bottom of the eighth, and Kevin Rhoderick (Oregon State; Scottsdale, Ariz.) struck out the side around one hit in the ninth.
Columbia scored two runs on three hits in the top of the first. Sean Sullivan singled with one out, stole second and scored on Rich Witten’s two-out double. Witten scored on a single by Jesse Barbaro, who was thrown out trying to stretch the hit into a double.
That lead stood until the U.S. squad rallied for four two-out runs in the top of the eighth. The National Trials Team loaded the bases with one out in the fourth, but Blake Smith (California; Modesto, Calif.) lined into an inning-ending double play.
Josh Fellhauer (Cal State Fullerton; Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.) plated pinch-runner Brooks Raley (Texas A&M; Uvalde, Texas) with a single up the middle to break up Columbia’s shutout bid. Christian Colon (Cal State Fullerton; Corona, Calif.) followed with a nine-pitch at bat; after fouling off three straight full-count pitches, Colon was hit by a pitch. That set the stage for Davis’ game-winning home run.
The National Trials Team added three runs in the top of the ninth on a Derek Dietrich (Georgia Tech; Parma, Ohio) solo homer and a Fellhauer two-run shot.
Erik Sommerville, the seventh of eight pitchers on the night for Columbia, took the loss; he allowed four runs on three hits and walk with one strikeout in the eighth inning. Starter Tyler McBride was the only Columbia pitcher to work more than 1.0 inning; he retired all six batters he faced with four strikeouts in 2.0 innings of work.
U.S. starter Andrew Oliver (Oklahoma State; Vermillion, Ohio) allowed two runs on three hits and no walks with three strikeouts over 3.0 innings. Drew Pomeranz (Mississippi; Collierville, Tenn.) struck out four and allowed one hit in 2.0 scoreless innings.
Fellhauer was 4-for-5 with two runs and three RBI; he had the only multiple-hit outing for the U.S. team.
The National Trials Team returns to action Monday with the second of two Blue-White intrasquad games. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. EDT at Capital City Stadium.
