CARY, N.C. — Alexander Malleta ripped a home run to help lead the Cuba National Team to a 4-1 win over the USA Collegiate National Team, in the finale of the five-game series, on the first day of the Americas Baseball Festival on a perfect Monday night at the USA Baseball National Training Complex.
After Team USA clinched the five-game series with a win on Saturday night in Charlotte, N.C., 11-1, the series concluded on Monday in the opening day of the Americas Baseball Festival, which also included a game between Canada and the USA Pan-America Games team. Team USA opened the series with back-to-back 2-0 wins, including handing the Cubans its first no-hitter in international play in the lidlifter.
Cuba plated single runs in the second and third innings, before getting a key two-out RBI single in the fifth inning to stretch its lead to 4-1. Team USA loaded the bases with two outs in the fifth inning, bringing the go-ahead run to the plate and chasing the Cuba starting pitcher. Team USA then loaded the bases with two outs in the ninth but couldn’t get the key hit to stretch the game.
At the plate, Team USA was paced by a two-hit game from Brendan McKay (Louisville) – the 2015 Baseball America Freshman of the Year. Garrett Hampson (Long Beach State) had a double and Ryan Howard (Missouri) collected a pair of hits. JJ Schwarz (Florida) drew a walk and scored a run, and Nick Banks (Texas A&M) drew a pair of walks. Banks has reached base safely in all 15 games of the tour.
Team USA (9-6) starter Tanner Houck (1-1) worked four innings, allowing six hits and two runs – one earned – not issuing a walk and striking out three. Houck threw 58 pitches, with 38 going for strikes, allowing an unearned run in the second and a solo homer in the third.
In the fifth inning, lefty A.J. Puk (Florida) took the mound. A 6-foot-7, 215-pounder, Puk worked 3.1 innings in relief, allowing six hits and two runs, not issuing a walk and striking out four. Team USA turned to Bailey Clark (Duke) in relief of Puk with a runner on third, the infield in and one out in the eighth inning. Clark got a grounder to Howard at shortstop, before escaping the jam with a pop up to Hampson. Clark worked 1.2 innings, allowing a hit, issuing an intentional walk and striking out three.
Team USA will return to action on Tuesday, playing the Canadian National Team at 3 p.m. EDT at the NTC.
Cuba took a lead in the second inning as Urmary Guerra led off with a single, taking second on a grounder. After a passed ball pushed Guerra to third with two outs, Yulexis La Rosa painted a RBI single down the rightfield line, giving Cuba a 1-0 lead.
In the third inning, Malleta ripped a solo homer with two outs down the rightfield line, stretching the Cuba lead to 2-0.
Team USA got on the board in the fourth inning, as Banks drew a one-out walk and was replaced by Schwarz on first base with a fielder’s choice. A throwing error allowed Schwarz to take second with two outs, before McKay dropped a single into shallow centerfield to score Schwarz.
Cuba plated two runs in the fifth inning, as Guerra singled to centerfield with two outs, scoring Malleta and Yoribis Borroto.
Cuba (2-3) starter Lazaro Blanco fired a strong start to help pace the win. Blanco worked 4.2 innings, allowing four hits and one unearned run, walking three and striking out four. In a key spot, with the bases loaded and two outs in the fifth inning, Cuba manager Roger Machado was able to utilize his baseball powers of telegnosis to turn to left-handed pitcher Livan Moinelo (1-0) to face the left-handed hitting Banks, with Moinelo getting a looking strikeout to escape the jam. Moinelo worked 3.1 hitless innings to pick up the win, allowing just two walks and fanning three. Hector Mendoza worked the ninth to pick up the save.
GAME NOTES: Tanner Houck (Missouri) made his third start of the summer in his fourth appearance … KJ Harrison (Oregon State) made his first start of the summer in the outfield … Garrett Hampson (Long Beach State) ripped his first double of the summer … Catcher JJ Schwarz (Florida) caught his second runner stealing on the tour … A.J. Puk (Florida) appeared in his fourth game of the summer … Bailey Clark (Duke) appeared in his third game of the summer … Nick Banks (Texas A&M) has reached base safely in all 15 games this summer … Cuba leads the all-time series with Team USA, 67-38.
