FROM CBD NEWS SOURCE
GASTONIA, N.C. – Michael Lorenzen (Cal State Fullerton) homered and drove in four to lead the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team to a 12-5 win over Gastonia Thursday night at Sims Legion Park.
Every player in the lineup – nine total — recorded at least one hit in the team’s win as the club tallied 15 overall and improved to 6-1 this summer. Thursday’s game marked the finale for Team USA against summer collegiate clubs with the two-game Prospect Classic against the 18U National Team scheduled to get underway Friday.
Lorenzen hit a three-run home run in the fourth and singled in the third, seventh and ninth innings to tally four hits on the night. He was supported offensively by Tyler Naquin (Texas A&M), David Lyon (Kent State) and Dominic Ficociello (Arkansas) as all three had two hits apiece. For Naquin, it marked his third consecutive multiple-hit game and he has hit safely in four of his five games with Team USA.
It was Lorenzen’s first multi-hit game of the summer and his second multi-RBI effort.
DJ Baxendale (Arkansas) made his second start for Team USA and worked 3 1/3 innings, allowing seven hits and four runs. Matt Boyd (Oregon State) replaced Baxendale in the fourth and scattered three hits and a run in 1 1/3 innings of relief.
Boyd, by virtue of Baxendale not going the required five innings – despite leaving with the lead – picked up the win and improved to 1-0 this summer.
Team USA, down 1-0 after three innings, got on the board in a big way in the fourth, scoring five runs. It was highlighted by Lorenzen’s home run, a three-run blast over the center field fence that pushed the club to a 5-1 lead.
Gastonia scored three in the bottom half of the fourth to pull within one, but Team USA scored five again in the fifth. Team USA scored its five runs off five hits in the frame, including two-run doubles by Josh Elander (Texas Christian) and Erich Weiss (Texas).
Rick Marks took the loss for Gastonia after allowing nine runs and nine hits in four innings of work.
Naquin and Ficociello each had two RBIs for Team USA.
The Collegiate National Team makes its first visit to Durham Bulls Athletic Park Friday night when it takes on the 18U National Team in the Prospect Classic. The game is the first of two between the clubs and Friday’s matchup begins at 7:05 p.m. ET.
The game will stream live on usabaseball.com in addition to live scoring. A one-day delay of the game will be televised on the MLB Network at 12 p.m. ET Saturday. Saturday’s game is also a 7:05 p.m. start and will air on Sunday at 12 p.m.
USA Notes: Ronnie Freeman (Kennesaw State) and LJ Mazzilli (Connecticut) did not make the trip to North Carolina and are no longer on the Team USA roster … Florida’s Brian Johnson and Nolan Fontana will make the trip to Durham Friday and will be available to play against the 18U National Team … Chris Elder (Oral Roberts) and Lyon, meanwhile, were officially named to the Team USA roster Thursday … The 10 runs marked the most for Team USA this summer … Tyler Naquin stole three bases, becoming the first Collegiate National Team member to do so since Jemile Weeks in 2006.
