FROM CBB NEWS SOURCE
GAME 1: RED TEAM 13 BLUE TEAM 11
PHOENIX, ARIZ.— In a game that saw a combined 24 runs on 29 hits at the USA Baseball 18U National Team trials, the Blue Team answered every call the red team put forth to draw first blood, winning game one of the trials 13-11 at Phoenix Municipal Stadium,.
The Red team jumped on veteran ace Ryan Weber (St. Petersburg, Fla.) early as they scored four runs in the top of the first inning. Wes Hatton (Norco, Calif.) got the Red team started with a lead-off single through the right side but was out at second as Jiovanni Mier (Pomona, Calif.) grounded into a fielder’s choice.
The red team then reeled off three base hits to right field and took advantage of 2 blue team errors as Mier, Donavan Tate (Cartersville, Ga.), Jeff Malm (Las Vegas, Nev.) and Bobby Borchering (Alva, Fla.) each scored taking an early 4-0 lead.
But the blue team answered back.
In the bottom half of the first inning, the blue team posted three runs on four base hits, but after a Max Stassi (Yuba City, Calif.) strikeout and a double play, starting Red team pitcher Trevor Bauer (Valencia, Calif.) got out of the jam holding their lead at 4-3.
But the Red team lead didn’t last long as the Blue team posted a four-spot of their own in the bottom of the third behind a Colton Cain (Waxahachie, Texas) three-run homerun that cleared the Bison Museum billboard in the outfield; taking a 7-3 lead that would later be threatened but never relinquished.
The Blue team continued their stellar hitting in the bottom of the fourth putting another two runs on the board as Harold Martinez (Miami, Fla.) connected on a two-run homerun to right field, putting the Blue team up 9-3.
But the red team would not fall easily. Back-to-back walks to Mier and Tate with one out on Blue team pitcher Jonathan Meyer (1-0) (Simi Valley, Calif.) proved costly as Borchering jacked a three-run homer to right field on an 0-2 pitch bringing the Red team within three runs.
But as the story of the night continues, the blue team answered back.
In the bottom of the fifth, David Nick (Cypress, Calif.) singled and then by courtesy of a sac bunt by Nolan Fontana (Winter Garden, Fla.) and a stolen base, Nick was on third base with only one out. The threat continued as Stassi was walked and then advanced on wild pitch. Harold Martinez (4-5, 4 RBIs) picked up his third RBI on the night as he grounded out to the third baseman that allowed Nick to easily score from third. Stassi then scored on a passed ball on Red team catcher Marlon Mitchell (Riverview, Fla.) bringing the score to 11-7.
The blue team would then tally what would be the game-winning run in the bottom of the sixth-inning as Andrew Aplin (Suisun City, Calif.) scored on a single to left field by Mike Trout (Millville, N.J.).
The red team threatened once more though in the top of the seventh as the new blue-team pitcher Chad James (Yukon, Okla.) walked Tate and then hit Malm to bring up Borchering with no outs with runners on first and second. A double steal put Tate and Malm in scoring position, and another walk put James in a bases-loaded, no out jam.
After finally gaining some composure, James struck out Matthew Moynihan (San Diego, Calif.) looking but Matt Helm drove the first pitch he saw deep to left-center field to a diving Randal Grichuck (Rosenburg, Texas) who got the out, but saw Tate score on the tag.
With two outs, a bad pick-off throw moved the runners to second and third with catcher Mitchell still up. Mitchell was then hit in the head, loading the bases again with two outs. Cameron Garfield (Murrieta, Calif.) then hit a rope to the left-center wall for a base-clearing double to bring the score to 12-11.
The scoring ended in the bottom of the seventh as Martinez got his third of four hits on the night as he scored shortstop Fontana with a single to right field for the final score of 13-11.
From this point on the pitchers took over as only four hits were allowed over the last three innings.
Jonathan Meyer picked up the win for the Blue team as he went three innings and gave up three runs on two hits. Zach Lee (0-1) (McKinney, Texas) picked up the loss as he gave up five runs on six hits for the Red team. Austin Maddox (Jacksonville, Fla.) picked up the save as he finished the game off for the blue team allowing only one hit in one inning of work.
GAME 2: RED TEAM 12 BLUE TEAM 7
SUNRISE, ARIZ.—Nick Franklin and the Red team jumped on Blue team starter Garrett Gould early and posted a lead that would never be passed as the Red team draws even at the 18U National Team Trials with a win over the Blue team 12-7 at Sunrise Recreation Stadium in Sunrise, Arizona.
The Red team came out firing on all cylinders Monday in hopes of attaining revenge of their 13-11 loss to the Blue team on Saturday. A four pitch walk to Ryan Curl began the bottom of the first and a hit-and-run by Wes Hatton put runners on first and second with no outs. Jeff Malm came to bat after a Donovan Tate strikeout and plated a 2 RBI single to right field to put the red team ahead 2-0 early.
A walk to Bobby Borchering had players on first and second and then a Cameron Garfield hit-by-pitch loaded the bases with one out for designated hitter Nick Franklin. Franklin hit a sacrifice fly to centerfield bringing in Malm to bring the score to 3-0. Matt Moynihan then took a 1-0 pitch up the middle to bring in Borchering home from second helping the Red team post a four spot on Gould in the first inning.
As the Blue team hoped to answer each run as they had on Saturday, pitcher Cecil Tanner and his defense refused to allow a comeback in the following inning. Marisnick slammed a ball into deep left center but a diving Ryan Curl made an incredible catch to get the first out. From there, the defense capitalized on two ground outs and ended any hope of the Blue team cutting into their deficit.
In the bottom of the second, Curl led off with a single and advanced to second on a groundout but was picked off second by Gould. This proved costly as Tate slammed a double to the left-center field wall that would have easily scored Curl. A walk to Hatton put a man on first and second when Bobby Borchering roped a double to left center as well to plate both runners to bring the score to 6-0. Cameron Garfield then hit a two-run bomb over the left field fence to increase the lead to 8-0.
The Blue team finally got on the board in the top of the fifth inning as Andrew Aplin doubled to right-centerfield with one out to put him in scoring position. After a Harold Martinez strikeout, a routine ground ball proved difficult for the red team as an error on the shortstop led to runners on first and third and a dangerous Colton Cain up to bat.
Cain then blasted his second homerun in as many games to put the blue team on the board 8-3.
After the Red team added another run in the bottom of the fifth as Garfield reached home after being hit by a pitch, the Blue team posted another 3-spot on the scoreboard in the top of the sixth to again threaten the Red team lead.
The inning began with a walk by pitcher Wes Hatton to Jake Marisnick and a single by Jonathan Meyer to put runners on first and third. Randal Grichuk came up with his lone RBI on the day with a double to the left field wall that scored Marisnick and put himself and Meyer in scoring position for the top of the order and no outs. David Nick then put the ball in play to plate Meyer boosting the lead 9-5. Aplin then grounded out to second base to score another run bringing it to 9-6 at the end of the sixth.
Nick Franklin struck again in the bottom of sixth as his single brought in another run and the Red team led 10-6. Franklin almost collected a third RBI but an outstanding throw from Randal Grichuk in right field caught Garfield out at home plate.
The Blue team pitching struggled overall, surrendering seven walks on the day. One of which again became costly as Moynihan began the bottom of the seventh with a walk. He then stole second and as two more consecutive walks loaded the bases, Jiovanni Mier smacked a sac fly to left field to score the eleventh run for the Red team.
Both teams scored a run in their respective half-innings in the eighth inning.
Cecil Tanner picked up the win for the Red team after going 3.0 innings surrendering no runs and two hits. Garrett Gould picked up the loss as he went 2.0 innings allowing eight earned runs on seven hits.
This was the first game of the Monday double-header as a make up for Sunday’s missed game. After field conditions were dampened by Sunday night’s weather, the 18U National Team Trials were relocated to Sunrise, Ariz. at the home of the Kansas City Royals Spring Training Facility.
GAME 3: BLUE TEAM 9 RED TEAM 8
Surprise, Ariz.— Game three the 18U National Team Trials and game two of Monday’s doubleheader at the Surprise Recreation Campus in Surprise, Ariz. saw the Red team jumped out to an early lead for the third game in a row.
Jiovanni Mier started things off for the Red team with a four pitch walk on starter Jacob Turner. Jeff Malm then reached on a fielding error by the first-baseman to bring Mier in from second base to take an early 1-0 lead.
The Blue team wasted no time responding, however, as they knocked in three runs in the first inning on Red team starter Matthew Purke. A throwing error by Red team third-baseman Matt Helm allowed Andrew Aplin to reach safely with one out. Harold Martinez singled and Austin Maddox followed with a double to plate Aplin tying the game at 1-1. Then Max Stassi hit a 2 RBI single up the middle to give the Blue team a 3-1 lead after the first.
The Blue team began the bottom of the second inning where they left off in the first as David Nick picked up a double to left centerfield to threaten with no outs. But Red team starter Purke then struck out Nolan Fontana, forced a ground out to Aplin and popped Martinez up to right field to end the threat.
Game three of the trials went back and forth with pitching and defense dominating the game until the Red team found its way back onto the board in the top of the sixth inning.
Donovan Tate hit an infield single and advanced on a wild pick off throw from pitcher Bobby Borchering to lead off the sixth with no outs. Then Jeff Malm unleashed a bomb that cleared the 365 foot fence in right field for a two run homerun to tie the game at 3.
Borchering then answered with two strikeouts but a Nick Franklin single through the left side and steal continued the Red team threat in the sixth. When Wes Hatton hit a single through the middle, Franklin came into to score to take the lead for the Red team 4-3.
But the lead was short lived as the Blue team capitalized on a two out error by 3rd baseman Matt Helm that allowed Stassi to reach first safely. Jacob Marisnick then singled up the middle to put men on first and second and then a single up the middle by Mike Trout allowed Stassi to score, tying the game at 4-4. A double steal and a throwing error by catcher Cameron Garfield allowed Marisnick to score and retake the lead for the Blue team 5-4.
Threatening to add some insurance runs, the Blue team started off the bottom of the seventh with vigor. Jonathan Meyer got his second hit of the game as he blooped a singled into right-center field. A walk to Randal Grichuk put a man on first and second with no outs, but a 4-6-3 double play ball hit by Harold Martinez advanced Meyer to third but with two outs. But Meyer found a way to score as new Red team pitcher Jeff Malm threw a wild pitch over the catchers head and the Blue team was up 6-4.
But the Red team wouldn’t go down without a fight. Cameron Garfield singled down the left field line in the top of the eighth and Matt Helm drove a ball for two-run shot to left field tying the game up at 6-6.
And again, the Blue team responded…
Colton Cain sent the first pitch of the bottom of the eighth to deep left centerfield for a stand-up double. Stassi then laid down a sacrifice bunt to put Cain on third with one out when Marisnick then took a 2-1 breaking ball for a base hit to right field to score Cain from third and again retake the lead from the Red Team 7-6.
Mike Trout then legged out a single to the second baseman to put Marisnick on third and himself on first with one out. David Nick then popped a bunt up in the air for first baseman Bobby Borchering to easily make the play leaving two outs and Jonathan Meyer up to bat. Meyer then hit what became the game-winning, stand up, 2 RBI double to center field taking the score to 9-6.
Blue team reliever Andrew Aplin came into the top of the ninth to try and close out the game but the Red team threatened. After a strikeout to Marlon Mitchel, Aplin gave up a single to Matthew Moynihan and a 2-run homer to Jiovanni Mier to put the Blue team lead at only 9-8.
But Mier picked up the save as Donavan Tate was thrown out from right field attempting to leg out a double and as he struck out Bobby Borchering to end the ninth.
Nolan Fontana picked up the win for the Blue team who has taken two of the three games during the 18U National Team Trials. Fontana pitched 2.0 innings giving up two runs on two hits with three strikeouts. Jeff Malm took the loss for the Red team as he gave up four runs on five hits.
Game four of the 18U National Team Trials will continue as scheduled Tuesday July 15, 2008 at the Phoenix Municipal Stadium.
