CARY, N.C. — Seth Romero (Houston) fanned six in four shutout innings and Bobby Dalbec (Arizona) belted his second home run of the summer, leading the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team to a 7-0 win over the Coastal Plains League Select team, on a steamy Wednesday afternoon at USA Baseball’s National Training Complex.
Team USA (2-3) jumped out to an early lead with two-run frames in the first, fourth and fifth innings, adding a run in the second frame.
A freshman All-America selection in 2015, Romero (1-0) tossed four pre-determined shutout innings, allowing just two hits – one infield knock – and two walks, striking out six. A native of West Columbia, Texas, Romero threw just 57 pitches, with 39 going for strikes. He started the first four hitters he faced with first-pitch strikes and induced 11 swings and misses. During the 2015 season, Romero totaled a 7-4 record, a 1.94 ERA and seven saves in 83.1 innings, striking out 92. In his three outings for Team USA, Romero has worked six innings, allowing just two hits with eight strikeouts.
Dalbec, a native of Parker, Colo., belted his second homer of the summer to highlight the offensive attack for Team USA. Dalbec finished 1-for-3 with a walk. In his Team USA debut, centerfielder Buddy Reed (Florida) went 3-for-4 with three stolen bases. Team USA also got a 2-for-3 outing from Nick Banks (Texas A&M), who drove in a pair of runs in the first inning. Team USA also got hits from Corey Ray (Louisville), Ryan Howard (Missouri) and Garrett Hampson (Long Beach State). KJ Harrison (Oregon State) drew a walk, had a hit and scored a run.
Banks, a native of Charlotte, N.C., leads Team USA in hitting through five games, batting .421 (8-for-19) with a pair of doubles and a team-best eight RBI. Harrison has hit .350 with a double and two RBI.
Freshman Tommy DeJuneas (N.C. State) earned a spot inning for the Team USA pitching staff, with the righty tossing a shutout frame with a strikeout in the fifth. Lefty A.J. Puk (Florida) made his Team USA debut in the sixth inning, working a perfect inning with two strikeouts. Nick Burdi (Louisville) started the seventh inning, striking out two and allowing a hit. Righty Stephen Nogosek (Oregon) worked around a pair of two-out hits in the eighth. Right-hander Ryan Hendrix (Texas A&M) worked the ninth inning.
Team USA will return to action on Thursday, playing host to Chinese Taipei at 7 p.m. at the National Training Complex.
Team USA struck first in the bottom of the first inning. Reed led off with a 0-1 single up the middle, stealing second on the second pitch of the at-bat to Harrison. After Harrison drew a walk, the duo executed a delayed double steal to get into scoring position. Following a Schwarz line out, Banks singled through the opposite side, scoring Reed and Harrison.
In the bottom of the second inning, Team USA mounted a two-out rally. Hampson drew a walk and stole second base. Ray then singled up the middle to plate Hampson and give Team USA a 3-0 lead.
Team USA added two runs in the fourth inning, as Dalbec drew a walk to leadoff on a full count and Hampson singled into centerfield. After a wild pitch moved the runners into scoring position, Ray chopped a grounder to the right side to score Dalbec. Reed then lined a single into the left-centerfield gap, scoring Hampson.
Dalbec struck in the fifth inning, as Banks led off with a single, taking third base with two outs. Dalbec then rifled a no-doubt blast over the leftfield fence to give Team USA a 7-0 lead. Dalbec has two homers in his first five games with Team USA this summer, including an opposite-field shot in the summer lidlifter. Dalbec belted 17 homers over his last two seasons with Arizona.
Coastal Plains League Select starter Ryan Hedrick (Presbyterian) worked an inning, allowing two hits and two runs, walking one. Avery Greer (North Georgia) worked the second inning, allowing a hit, run and walk, striking out one. Carson Teel (Oklahoma State) tossed a shutout third inning and Kodi Whitley (Mount Olive) allowed two runs in the fourth. Matt Outman (Norfolk State), Matt Vogel (South Carolina), Dylan Zarosky (Houston Baptist), Matthew Festa (East Stroudsburg) and Tyler Keele (Morehead State) each worked in relief for the CPL.
