FROM CBD NEWS SOURCE
CARY, N.C. – The USA Baseball Collegiate National Team downed the 18U National Team, 8-1, Saturday night in the second of two games featuring the clubs at the Prospect Classic.
The two-game matchup was the first of its kind between USA Baseball’s top two clubs featuring draft-eligible players. The CNT won, 12-1, Friday night at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park and was victorious again on Saturday at the National Training Complex Stadium.
The Collegiate National Team (8-1) rode the arm of Eric Anderson (Missouri) to the win as the right-hander worked seven innings. He struck out five, walked one and scattered five hits.
He improved to 2-0 after making his second start of the summer for Team USA.
Early on, the 18U National Team (0-2) also stymied the Collegiate National Team at the plate.
The first four 18U pitchers kept the Collegiate National Team off the scoreboard. Lucas Giolito, Cole Irvin and Ryan Koziol combined to no-hit the Collegiate National Team through three, striking out a combined three.
18U’s Hunter Virant gave up a leadoff single in the fourth, but got out of the inning with no damage in one inning of scoreless relief.
Deven Marrero (Arizona State), who had the Collegiate National Team’s first hit of the game, broke open the contest with a three-run double in the fifth. The club already had a 1-0 lead when Nolan Fontana (Florida), singled through the right side with two outs, scoring Erich Weiss (Texas).
Fontana started his first game for Team USA, batting eighth and playing second base, after making his arrival in North Carolina Saturday. He had been playing in the College World Series in Omaha, Neb. Prior to joining the club.
The Collegiate National Team added to its lead in the sixth, going up 5-0 after Josh Elander (Texas Christian) tripled to start the inning and Matt Reynolds (Arkansas) drove him in on a groundout to short.
The CNT added to its lead with three runs in the eighth, highlighted by a two-run double off the bat of Michael Lorenzen (Cal State Fullerton).
The game was far less offensive-minded, with four of the 16 hits going for extra bases. On Friday, 10 of the 21 hits went for at least two bases.
Marrero and Tyler Naquin (Texas A&M) from the Collegiate National Team were the only players from either club to finish with two hits.
The 18U club threw nine pitchers, combining to allow eight hits with 10 walks and seven strikeouts.
The CNT, meanwhile, used just two pitchers, with Matt Boyd (Oregon State) relieving Anderson in the eighth. He worked the final two innings, allowing a bases-loaded walk with two outs in the ninth to Jeremy Martinez. That marked the 18U club’s lone run.
The Collegiate National Team turns its attention now to a five-game series against Japan that starts Sunday and wraps up Friday. The first game of the series is set for a 3:05 p.m. ET start Sunday at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park.
The 18U National Team, meanwhile, will reduce its roster size by Sunday and reconvene in September for training in preparation for the COPABE Pan Am ‘AAA/18U’ Championships held Sept. 23-Oct. 2 in Cartagena, Columbia.
USA NOTES: Matt Reynolds (Arkansas) and Tom Murphy (Buffalo) joined the Collegiate National Team prior to the game … Stephen Yarrow (San Francisco), meanwhile, signed an undrafted free agent contract with San Francisco after Friday night’s game and left for Arizona Saturday morning … Saturday’s game will air on the MLB Network Sunday at noon ET.
