CARY, N.C. — Chih-Yi Huang and Shih-Ying Peng combined to allow just one run on the mound over eight innings, helping pace Chinese Taipei to a 5-1 win over the USA Collegiate National Team, the first of a seven-game series, on Monday night at the USA Baseball National Training Complex.
The teams faced off for the first time in a seven-game series on Monday night, with the first two games between the clubs serving as a tune-up for the five-game series from June 25-29.
Huang handcuffed the bats of Team USA through five innings, allowing four singles and only an unearned run to score. He exited the game to start the sixth inning in favor of the lefty Peng, who worked three shutout innings, with Tzu-Wei Lin working the ninth inning.
Chinese Taipei started the scoring with a single run in the second, before Team USA answered with a run in the fourth inning. A run in the fifth gave Chinese Taipei a lead, adding two in the eighth and one run in the ninth for the final margin.
Team USA starter Matt Crohan (Winthrop) worked three pre-determined innings, allowing two hits and one unearned run, walking one and striking out three. Righty Mike Shawaryn (Maryland) came on to start the fourth inning. Shawaryn (0-1) worked three innings, allowing five hits and one walk, striking out two. Lefty Seth Romero (Houston) started the seventh inning, tossing a shutout frame. Power-armed right-hander Zack Burdi (Louisville) came on to open the eighth inning, getting three outs and allowing two runs on two walks and a hit. Righty Ryan Hendrix (Texas A&M) worked the ninth inning.
At the plate, Team USA collected six hits, with Bryson Brigman (San Diego), Corey Ray (Louisville), KJ Harrison (Oregon State), Bobby Dalbec (Arizona), Nick Banks (Texas A&M) and Ryan Howard (Missouri) each added singles. Harrison, catching his first game of the summer, nabbed three runners trying to steal. Over the last two games, Team USA has caught seven runners stealing.
The Red, White and Blue will return to action on Tuesday, hosting a second game with Chinese Taipei at 7 p.m. ET at the National Training Complex.
Team USA fell behind in the top of the second inning, as Po-Jung Wang doubled off the base of the wall to leadoff the frame, taking third on a groundout. After Crohan got the second out on a pop up with the infield in, Sung-Hsun Wu chopped a tough grounder to third base that went for an error, allowing Wang to score.
The Red, White and Blue evened up the game in the bottom of the fourth inning, as Harrison dropped a single down the rightfield line. After an error and a bunt single from Dalbec, Banks forced in the tying run with a bases-loaded double play ball, making it 1-1.
Taiwan immediately answered in the top of the fifth inning, mounting three consecutive two-out hits to take a 2-1 lead. Tai-Chun Yang ripped a single through the left side of the infield, scoring Tsung-Hsien Lee, who had singled up the middle.
Chinese Taipei rallied in the eighth inning to stretch its lead. Po-Jung Wang drew a walk to leadoff and Chung-Yu Chen followed with a walk. Chih-Chieh Su singled to left to load the bases, with Wang scoring on a wild pitch and Su scoring on a sacrifice fly from Sung-Hsun Wu.
Huang (1-0) worked five innings, allowing just four hits and one unearned run, not issuing a walk and notching one strikeout. Peng tossed three shutout innings, allowing two hits and no walks, striking out five. Lin worked the ninth inning to complete the game.
