FROM TEAM USA RELEASE
Cody Wheeler (Courtesy of Coastal Carolina Media Relations)
(DURHAM, N.C.) – Eleven different players registered a hit for Team USA on Sunday and the USA Baseball National Team (Collegiate) beat Team Canada 20-3 at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park for its fourth consecutive win of the summer.
Team USA (4-0) jumped out to an early 2-0 lead after Christian Colon (Cal State Fullerton) hit an RBI fielder’s choice to score Tyler Holt (Florida State) from third base. After Canada starting pitcher, Jerome Werniuk, a 20th round selection by the Texas Rangers, issued two walks to load the bases, Michael Choice (UT Arlington) lined a ball up the middle that hit the pitcher for the second run of the game.
USA starting pitcher Cody Wheeler (Coastal Carolina) surrendered two runs in the bottom of the inning after he gave up three walks to Canada. One walk brought in a run and a sacrifice fly to right field scored the other and the Canadian National Team (0-4) tied the game two apiece.
But the tie did not last long. Team USA then scored runs in the second, third, fifth, sixth, seventh, and ninth innings.
Rick Hague (Rice) hit a single to right field for his second hit in as many innings and Christian Colon slugged a two-run shot over the Blue Monster, hitting the infamous Bull in left field for a 4-2 lead.
Michael Choice (UT Arlington) and Yasmani Grandal (Miami) each hit a sacrifice fly to score 2 more runs for the U.S. in the third inning and Matt Newman (Arizona State) and Holt collected RBI singles in the fifth for a commanding 8-2 lead.
Team USA continued its offensive outpouring in the sixth inning behind two doubles by Blake Forsythe (Tennessee) and Rob Segedin (Tulane), and another RBI single for Tyler Holt.
Wheeler settled in on the mound for the U.S. after struggling in the first inning. Following the two-run first, Wheeler surrendered only two more hits on the day before being relieved with two outs in the sixth. He struck out eight batters on the day.
Another four runs crossed the plate for Team USA in the seventh inning. Colon and Forsythe got on board with a single and double, respectively, and Andy Wilkins (Arkansas) and Casey McGrew connected for RBI singles. The U.S. then instantly plated another two runs on a single by Segedin to extend its lead to 17-2.
Canada got on the board again in the eighth inning after Rowan Wick hit a double down the left field line on reliever Sonny Gray (Vanderbilt). After Wick advanced to third base on a passed ball by catcher Jeremy Schaffer (Tulane), Wick scored on a routine ground out to the pitcher for Canada’s third and final run of the game.
Bryce Brentz (Middle Tennessee State), Schaffer, Kolten Wong (Hawaii), and Holt each picked up hits in the ninth inning for the final tally of 20-3.
Wheeler (1-0) got the win for Team USA as he pitched five and two-thirds inning, allowed two runs on three hits. He fanned eight and walked four batters on the day. Starter Jerome Werniuk (0-1) of Canada was struck with the loss.
Nick Pepitone (Tulane), Gray and Chad Bettis (Texas Tech) finished the game for the U.S., allowing only two hits combined in relief.
Team USA and Team Canada will finish its five game series, Monday, June 29, at the USA Baseball National Training Complex. The game will begin at 7:30 PM. Asher Wojciechowski (The Citadel) is slated to take the mound for the United States.
Game notes:
- Attendance for Friday’s game was counted at 2,760.
- With the win, the USA Baseball National Team (Collegiate) has won 28 consecutive games dating back to last summer.
