CARY, N.C. – Johnny Aiello drove in the game-winning run with a double in the seventh inning, while Jake Irvin tossed 3.0 shutout innings as the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team earned a 2-1 victory over Martinsville in a seven-inning game on Saturday from Bill Coleman Field.
With the game tied at 1-1 in the seventh inning, Travis Swaggerty reached base with a single to center field after an 11-pitch at bat. That set up Aiello who ripped the first pitch over the left fielder’s head and off the wall for the go-ahead RBI.
Team USA grabbed an early 1-0 lead in the first inning as Grant Koch drove in Tyler Frank from second base with a base hit to left field.
Martinsville responded in the top of the fourth inning when Lee Sponseller hit a solo home run that snuck just inside the right-field foul pole to tie the game.
Irvin tossed 3.0 shutout innings without allowing a hit with five strikeouts and two walks. Hunter Gaddis earned the win throwing a perfect seventh inning by striking out the side.
The two teams played an exhibition inning under international tie-breaker rules in the eighth inning. The Mustangs scored a run on an U.S. error, but Team USA answered with two runs in the bottom half as Andrew Vaughn hit a sacrifice fly to center field to plate Travis Swaggerty followed by Jake McCarthy scoring on a wild pitch.
The United States finished the game with two runs on five hits with no errors, while Martinsville ended with one run on two hits and no errors.
The U.S. team will be on the road on Sunday when they travel to Hampton, Va. to face the Peninsula Pilots at 7:05 p.m. from War Memorial Stadium.
