FROM CBB NEWS SOURCE
CARY, N.C. — Blue jumped out to an early 2-0 lead and never looked back as they defeated the Red squad 6-1 Thursday night in Game 3 of the Collegiate National Team (CNT) Trials at the National Training Complex (NTC).
With the win the Blue team improves to 1-1-1, while the Red falls to 1-1-1.
For the second-straight game Drew Maggi (Arizona State) recorded multiple hits going 2-for-2 at the plate with a pair of runs scored. Joining Maggi with multiple hits for the Blue were Alex Dickerson (Indiana) and Mikie Mahtook (LSU), while Nick Ramirez (Cal State Fullerton) and Ryan Wright (Louisville) had two hits each for the Red.
Matt Jensen (Cal Poly) started the scoring for the Blue in the bottom of the first when he singled home Steve Rodriguez (UCLA) with a shot back up the middle. Rodriguez reached on an infield single, moved to second on Austin Nola’s (LSU) base hit and swiped third before Jensen drove him home. Nola scored the second run on a passed ball putting the score at 2-0.
The Blue added two more runs in the second extending its lead to 4-0. Mahtook plated Maggi, who singled to start the inning, with a double down the right field line and scored when Taylor Featherston (Texas Christian) grounded out to third.
Nolan Fontana (Florida) finally put the Red on the board with a RBI single in the fifth to cut Blue’s lead to three, 4-1. George Springer (Connecticut) laced a one-out single to left then swiped second and third before crossing home on Fontana’s shot to right field.
Maggi and Mahtook’s back-to-back singles in the bottom of the fifth helped the Blue extend its lead to five, 6-1. After Maggi singled through the right side, Mahtook followed with a base hit to center seemingly putting runners on the corners, but a throwing error by Taylor Dugas (Alabama) allowed Maggi to score and moved to Mahtook to third. Featherston drove in the final run of the contest with a sac fly to left.
Brett Mooneyham (Stanford) was solid on the bump for the Blue picking up the win after working four scoreless innings where he allowed three hits and struck out two. Evan Brock (UC Irvine) followed up his inning of no-hit performance on Tuesday by allowing one run on four hits in three frames and a pair of punch outs.
Dylan Floro (Cal State Fullerton) suffered the loss after he was touched for four runs (three earned) on six hits in 2 1/3 innings. Jesse Haney (UNC Wilmington) gave up two runs on four hits, while Justin Schumer (UNC Asheville) was perfect in his two innings of relief. Both Haney and Schumer logged innings as non-roster invitees.
The two teams will resume CNT Trials games Friday at 6:30 p.m. at the NTC in Cary, N.C. Check in at USABaseball.com for further Collegiate National Team updates.
Notes: C.J. Cron (Utah) and Anthony Meo (Coastal Carolina) are no longer at the trials and have been named alternates for CNT … Friday mornings practice schedule at the NTC has been cancelled … Batting practice will begin at 4:40 and last until 5:40 p.m.
