FROM CBB NEWS SOURCE
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OKOTOKS, Alberta. – Colton Cain (LHP; Waxahatchie, Texas) and Wes Hatton (RHP; Norco, Calif.) combined on a two-hitter and a solo home run from Max Stassi (C; Yuba City, Calif.) highlighted a 10-hitt attack as the USA Baseball 18U National Team blanked Chinese Taipei 6-0 today in exhibition action in the first day of the International Super Series at Seaman Stadium. Besides the USA and Chinese Taipei national teams, Canada’s national squad and the Okotoks Dawgs, a college summer league team, round out the field for the three-day event.
The Americans, now 3-0 in exhibition play, will continue action in the Super Series when they meet the host Dawgs at 9:05 p.m. (EDT) July 22. The USA will finish play in the series with a doubleheader July 23. Team USA will face off with Canada at 2 p.m. followed by a 5 p.m. return contest against Chinese Taipei.
Cain retired the first 11 batters he faced in tossing five hitless innings. He allowed only two baserunners — one on a two-out walk in the fourth inning and the other one inning later on Team USA’s lone fielding error of the game. He struck out nine. Hatton hurled the final four innings, surrendering both Chinese Taipei hits. He fanned four.
“Colton’s pitching definitely set the tone for the day,” Team USA Head Coach Mark Elkins said. “He did a great job of attacking the strike zone, and then Wes came in to finish the game off for us.”
With Cain and Hatton keeping the Chinese Taipei bats at bay, Team USA collected 10 hits with three players — Harold Martinez (INF; Miami, Fla.), Austin Maddox (C; Jacksonville, Fla.) and Nick Franklin (OF; Longwood, Fla.) — ending up with twohits apiece. Both hits for Martinez and Maddox were two-baggers.
The Americans would score the only runs they needed with a three-run third inning. Back-to-back doubles by Martinez and Maddox gave Team USA its first run. Maddox advanced to third on a wild pitch and tallied on Franklin’s RBI single to left field. Franklin then stole second base and came around to score when Chinese Taipei shortstop Fu-Lin Kuo misplayed a grounder by Nolan Fontana (INF; Winter Garden, Fla.) for a 3-0 USA lead.
Team USA then tacked on single runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings. Jeff Malm (INF; Las Vegas, Nev.) notched a run-scoring single in the fourth, Fontana added another in the fifth and Stassi completed the Americans’ scoring with his opposite field homer to right center in the sixth inning.
“The team had a great approach today. The players came out and went about their business,” Elkins said. “That mindset was present at batting practice and it reflected in the way they played the game.”
Team USA threatened to blow the game open in the early stages. The Americans stranded 12 base runners, including 10 through the first five innings. They left the bases loaded in the third and fifth innings.
Following participation in the International Super Series, the USA will compete in the International BAseball Federations’ “AAA” World Junior Championships July 25-Aug. 3 in Edmonton.
