CARY, N.C. – Grant Koch went 2-for-4 with a RBI and a run scored as the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team dropped the series finale to Cuba, 3-2, on Friday in the sixth USA vs. Cuba Friendship Series from Bill Coleman Field. Despite the loss, the U.S. won the best-of-five series, 3-2, and is now 4-2 all-time against Cuba over the six series played between the two teams, including winning the last three series.
Steele Walker was named the series MVP after hitting .476 with a .667 slugging percentage and three RBIs. Travis Swaggerty earned Batting Champion with a .429 batting average with a .500 on-base percentage while leading the team in doubles and RBIs. Cuba’s Dachel Duquesne was selected as the Pitcher of the Series after earning the win in Game Four with seven scoreless innings and five strikeouts, while Raul Gonzalez was the recipient of the Spirit Award.
With the game tied 2-2, Cuba scored the game-winning run in the top of the ninth inning as Yordoni Samon hit a sacrifice fly to center field to plate Yosvani Alarcon who reached base on a single and then advanced to second base on an error.
Cuba jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the second inning, but the U.S. responded with a run in the bottom half of the frame as Jake McCarthy slapped a two-out single to left field to bring home Koch and cut the lead to 2-1.
The United States team tied the game at 2-2 in the bottom of the third inning as Walker hit a two-out double down the right-field line and then scored on a Koch single through the left side.
The U.S. team ended the game with two runs on six hits with one error, while Cuba finished with three runs on seven hits and one error.
The United States returns to the field on Tuesday, July 11 in Worcester, Massachusetts to play the Futures Collegiate League All-Stars before starting a five-game series with Japan in the 41st USA vs. Japan Collegiate All-Star Series on July 12.
