DURHAM, N.C. — Nick Banks (Texas A&M) and Corey Ray (Louisville) extended their hitting streaks to seven games to help power the USA Collegiate National Team’s explosion of six runs in the first two innings, pacing Team USA to a 6-4 win over Chinese Taipei, on a sunny Saturday afternoon at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park.
Team USA (5-3) extended its winning streak to four games with the three-run win over Chinese Taipei, courtesy of a run in the first and a five-run explosive in the second inning. The win improves Team USA to 3-0 in its quest for international points vs. Chinese Taipei, with the two teams playing a seven-game series that included a pair of early exhibition games to open the set.
Team USA starter, sophomore righty Mike Shawaryn (Maryland), worked 3.2 innings, allowing three hits and three runs, walking two and striking out four. He started 10 of the hitters he faced with first-pitch strikes, throwing 58 pitches.
After a three-run, two-out double in the fourth dented Shawaryn’s line, Team USA called on righty Drew Rasmussen (Oregon State) in relief. Ramussen, a 6-foot-1, 220-pounder, got a strikeout to escape the fourth inning.
Sophomore Logan Shore (Florida) started the fifth inning, his 2015 Team USA debut, working four shutout innings, allowing three hits, striking out five without issuing a walk. Shore (1-0) threw 44 pitches, with 33 going for strikes to earn the win.
Lefty Matt Crohan (Winthrop) started the ninth inning, allowing a leadoff single before Team USA turned to power-armed righty Zack Burdi (Louisville). Burdi got an out but allowed a pair of singles before Team USA called on right-hander Ryan Hendrix (Texas A&M) with the tying run in scoring position in the ninth. Hendrix got a pair of strikeouts to record his second save of the summer.
Banks and Ray stretched their hitting streaks to eight games, with Banks going 1-for-2 with a first-inning, two-out RBI single. Ray finished 2-for-2 with a walk and his eighth steal of the summer. Centerfielder Buddy Reed (Florida) added a key two-RBI knock in the second inning. USA also got a double from Ryan Howard (Missouri), with Chris Okey (Clemson) and KJ Harrison (Oregon State) each adding an RBI. Bobby Dalbec (Arizona) and Bryson Brigman (San Diego) each scored runs, with Brigman going 1-for-2.
Team USA took a first-inning lead, as Ray singled on the first pitch of the frame, taking second on a sacrifice bunt from Reed. After the second out, Banks singled to left-centerfield, allowing Ray to score.
In the second inning, Team USA plated five runs on two hits to stretch its lead to 6-0. Howard led off with a double off the base of the wall in left-centerfield, Dalbec drew a walk and Brigman was plunked by a pitch to load the bases. Okey then grounded out to the right side to score Howard, with Ray drawing a walk. Reed then singled up the middle to score two runs, taking second on a throw to third base, with Ray motoring in under the slide. After a wild pitch scored Ray, Harrison grounded out to score Reed for a 6-0 lead.
Chinese Taipei got a big two-out, three-run double in the fourth inning from Chih-Chieh Su, cutting into the Team USA lead.
Chinese Taipei opened the ninth inning with three consecutive singles, scoring a run to cut into the lead.
Chinese Taipei (2-3) starter Yen-Ching Lu worked two innings, allowing six runs on four hits. Wei-Chih Lin worked five innings, allowing two hits and one walk, striking out four. Wei-Fan Tsai worked the ninth inning.
