CARY, N.C. — Matt Jensen’s (Cal Poly) grand slam in the top of the sixth inning lifted the Red team to a 5-3 win over the Blue squad in Game 6 of the Collegiate National Team (CNT) Trials Sunday afternoon at the National Training Complex (NTC). With the win Red improved to 3-1-2, while Blue dropped to 2-1-3.
Trailing 3-1 in the sixth, Jensen turned on a fast ball and sent it over the left field wall clearing the bases for the Red team to complete the comeback. Peter O’Brien (Bethune-Cookman) and Drew Maggi (Arizona State) recorded back-to-back singles to start the frame and Nick Martini (Kansas State) drew a bases loaded walk before Jensen lifted his first homer of the trials.
O’Brien, who was the only player with multiple hits, gave the Red team an early 1-0 lead in the second when he singled home Mikie Mahtook (LSU) with a shot to right center. Mahtook singled through the left side with two outs and scored from first before O’Brien was gunned down trying to advance to second.
Blue pushed across three runs in the bottom of the fourth to take a 3-1 lead behind Nolan Fontana’s (Florida) two-run double. George Springer (Connecticut) singled to right and Nick Ramirez (Cal State Fullerton) followed with a base hit to left to start the stanza. Both runners advanced 90 feet on Sean Gilmartin’s (Florida State) grounded out and Brad Miller (Clemson) loaded the bases setting up Fontana’s double down the right field line. Miller scored Blue’s final run on a sacrifice squeeze off the bat of catcher Steve Rodriguez (UCLA).
Madison Boer (Oregon) picked up the win despite giving up three runs (all earned) on three hits in an inning of work. Freshman Dylan Floro (Cal State Fullerton) tossed three innings of shutout ball with a pair of strikeouts in the start, while non-roster invitee Erik Sommerville (Francis Marion) worked a perfect inning.
Gerrit Cole (UCLA) made his first appearance on the mound for Team USA striking out three of the five batters he faced in 1 2/3 innings for the Blue team. Lex Rutledge (Samford) spelled Cole and gave up one run (earned) on two hits with a walk during his 1 1/3 inning stint.
Team USA will kickoff exhibition play Monday, July 12 when they travel to Gastonia, N.C. to square off against the Gastonia Grizzlies of the Coastal Plains League at Sims Legion Park. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. (EST).
