CARY, N.C. — Tanner Houck (Missouri), A.J. Puk (Florida) and Ryan Hendrix (Texas A&M) combined to hand the Cuban National Team its first ever no-hitter in international play, allowing only a walk and error, in a 2-0 win for the USA Collegiate National Team, on a perfect Wednesday night at the USA Baseball National Training Complex.
For the third time in USA Baseball Collegiate National Team history, the Americans posted a no-hitter. It marked Team USA’s first no-hitter since Carson Fulmer, Tyler Jay, Dillon Tate and Ryan Burr combined to no-hit the Netherlands in 2014. Team USA also no-hit Korea in 2010, a combined effort from Sonny Gray, Kyle Winkler and Noe Ramirez, for the first no-hitter in National Training Complex history.
The combination of Houck, Puk and Hendrix, along with catcher Chris Okey (Clemson) and pitching coach Gary Henderson (Kentucky), held the Cubans at bay for nine innings, surrendering just one walk and a one-out error.
Houck worked four pre-determined, perfect innings, not allowing a baserunner and retiring all 12 hitters he faced. Houck, a 6-foot-5, 215-pound right-hander, started nine of 12 hitters with first-pitch strikes, collecting four first-pitch outs. Houck threw 40 pitches, with 28 going for strikes. In three outings with Team USA, Houck has a 2.13 ERA in 12.2 innings, fanning 11 and walking just one.
Puk (1-0) started the fifth inning in a scoreless game. A 6-foot-7, 225-pounder, Puk tossed four innings, allowing only a leadoff walk and a one-out error. He threw 50 pitches, with 31 going for strikes, and seven of 14 hitters getting first-pitch strikes.
Team USA (7-4) called on Hendrix in the ninth inning to protect a two-run lead and clinch the historic no-hitter. Hendrix came on to face 9-1-2 in the Cuba order, getting three groundouts, two to third baseman Bobby Dalbec (Arizona) to complete the no-hitter.
The three pitchers combined to throw only 99 pitches, with 35 going as balls. A runner reached scoring position only in the seventh inning after a leadoff walk and a sacrifice bunt, with groundouts up the middle, forced by Puk, ending the threat with the tying run on third base.
Team USA started the scoring with a run in the bottom of the sixth inning on a key RBI hit from Matt Thaiss (Virginia), with the baserunning of Corey Ray (Louisville) leading to a run in the eighth inning for a two-run cushion.
Second baseman Bryson Brigman (San Diego) led the way with a 2-for-3 game. Team USA also got hits from Ray, Thaiss, Okey, KJ Harrison (Oregon State) and Nick Banks (Texas A&M). Shortstop Ryan Howard (Missouri) added a walk.
The win snaps a five-game winning streak for Cuba vs. the USA Collegiate National Team and marked the first win for Team USA in America vs. the Cubans since sweeping Cuba in a five-game series in 2013, the first games played between the two nation’s on American soil since 1996.
Team USA and Cuba will return to action with the first of two games at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park, with first pitch at 7 p.m. EDT.
In the bottom of the sixth inning, Team USA strung together three consecutive singles to take the first lead of the game. Okey led off with a single through the left side and after an out, Reed smacked a single up the middle. Thaiss then ripped a RBI single to centerfield, allowing Okey to score for a one-run lead.
Team USA got an insurance run in the eighth inning, as Ray reached on a one-out fielding error and took two bases on a passed ball that skidded away to the third base dugout netting. With the infield in and one out, Reed chopped a grounder up the middle, with a leaping attempt to snag allowing Ray to slide in and the out to be recorded at first base for a two-run lead.
Cuba (0-1) starter Freddy Alvarez (0-1) worked six strong innings, allowing seven hits and one run, walking one and striking out four. Livan Moinelo started the seventh inning, working two innings, allowing one hit and one unearned run, striking out three.
GAME NOTES: Tanner Houck (Missouri) made his second start of the summer … Nick Banks (Texas A&M) has reached safely in all 11 games for Team USA and has a hit in 10 of 11 games … Corey Ray (Louisville) has a hit in 10 of 11 games … Team USA is now 6-1 when scoring first … The no-hitter is the first for Team USA since 2014 and the first ever no-hitter allowed by Cuba in international play … There have been three no-hitters in Team USA history, coming against the Netherlands (2014) and Korea (2010) … Ryan Hendrix (Texas A&M) appeared in his team-leading sixth game and notched his club-high third save.
Photo Courtesy of Justin Cooke
