SARASOTA, Fla. – Kevin McGonigle (Aldan, Pa.) and Blake Mitchell (Sinton, Texas) both hit solo home runs as Team USA took down Korea, 8-3, in pool play at the XXX World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) U-18 Baseball World Cup on Saturday night at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota, Florida.
With the win, the U.S. moves to 2-0 in WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup Group A play.
McGonigle’s homer served as a tone-setter for Team USA. In the second at-bat of the game, the second baseman turned on an 0-2 pitch and sent it deep over the right-field wall to open the scoring before a bases-loaded walk gave Team USA a 2-0 lead. Then, after Korea tied the game in the second, Mitchell hit an opposite-field, solo homer to give the U.S. a lead it would not relinquish.
Team USA then added insurance runs in the fourth and sixth frames. Gavin Grahovac (Orange, Calif.) drove in two runs and another scored on an error to extend the edge to four before Kendall George (Houston, Texas) and Aidan Miller (Trinity, Fla.) notched RBI singles as the U.S. continued to pad its lead.
Max Clark (Franklin, Ind.) and McGonigle each had two hits in the victory, also combining to score three runs. Grahovac and Miller both had two-RBI days at the dish for the U.S., joining George, McGonigle, and Mitchell as the run-producers in the win. Colt Emerson (Cambridge, Ohio) scored a game-high three times, also picking up a hit.
Christian Rodriguez (Coral Gables, Fla.) started on the mound for Team USA and was solid, allowing two runs (one earned) on just one hit. Rodriguez – who was one of five pitchers used in the win – worked around baserunners for much of the start, walking four batters but striking out five. Bryce Eldridge (Vienna, Va.) was credited with the win after recording the final three outs and Youngcheol Yoon suffered the loss for Korea.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- With one out in the top of the first, Kevin McGonigle clobbered an 0-2 pitch over the right-field wall for a solo homer to put the U.S. up 1-0.
- Team USA’s lead became 2-0 in the top of the first after Colt Emerson reached on an error and came home on Aidan Miller’s bases-loaded walk.
- After a wild pitch on a strikeout extended its inning, Korea tied the game at two on an infield hit and a throwing error in the second.
- Blake Mitchell went the other way for an opposite-field, solo home run in the top of the third to give the United States a 3-2 lead.
- Max Clark and Kevin McGonigle hit back-to-back singles to lead off the fourth and Colt Emerson walked to load the bases, making way for Gavin Grahovac to smoke a bases-clearing single to right field to extend the U.S. lead to 6-2.
- Team USA’s advantage became 7-2 when Aidan Miller singled to center field with two outs in the fourth, plating Gavin Grahovac.
- Korea added an unearned run in the bottom of the fifth to trim its deficit to 7-3.
- Team USA scored its final run in the sixth, taking an 8-3 lead when Colt Emerson singled and scored on Kendall George’s RBI single.
- Bryce Eldridge took the mound with no outs and a runner on third in the seventh and escaped the jam without allowing a run, locking down the 8-3 victory.
OF NOTE
- Kevin McGonigle’s first-inning homer was hit 400 feet and had a 103 mph exit velocity.
- With his two-hit performance in Saturday’s win, Colt Emerson is batting .500 (3-for-6) with a team-high four runs scored in the World Cup so far.
- After going 1-for-1 with two walks, Aidan Miller still owns a 1.000 on-base percentage through two games. Miller is 3-for-3 with three walks and a hit-by-pitch.
- The U.S. pitching staff combined to allow just two hits in the victory.
- For the third consecutive tournament, the stars and stripes have won their first two WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup games.
- Team USA sits at the top of the tournament leaderboard in team home runs with three.
- The United States remains alongside Brazil atop the Group A standings with a 2-0 record.
ON DECK
Team USA takes on South Africa in XXX WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup Group A play on Sunday, September 11. First pitch is set for 7:00 p.m. ET at LECOM Park in Bradenton, Florida.
SOCIAL MEDIA
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