HAARLEM, Netherlands – The USA Baseball Collegiate National Team dropped a hard-fought 3-2 decision to Curaçao in the final game of pool play at Honkbalweek Haarlem on Wednesday. The two teams will square off again in the semifinals on Thursday at 3:30 p.m. local/9:30 a.m. ET at Pim Mulier Stadium.
All three of Curaçao’s runs came in the bottom of the third when it took advantage of a Team USA error, a balk, and got two key hits to snap a 22.1 inning scoreless streak by the U.S. pitching staff, dating back to the beginning of Sunday’s game against Italy.
The U.S. answered back with two runs in the sixth to claw within one, but Curaçao held tight the rest of the way to pick up the win. Both teams finish pool play with a 3-2 record and advance to the semifinals as the second and third seeds in the tournament.
KEY MOMENTS
- After two quiet innings to start the game, Curaçao snapped Team USA’s 22.1 inning scoreless streak with a three-spot in the third.
- The first two batters reached on a walk and hit-by-pitch, respectively, and a perfect sacrifice bunt moved them both into scoring position. Darren Sefarina drove in the first run with a sharply hit single to right and a balk plated the second. Alexander Rodriquez then laced a base hit up the middle to make it a 3-0 lead for Curaçao.
- The U.S. threatened in the top of the fifth when walks to Maui Ahuna and Enrique Bradfield, Jr. (Vanderbilt) put two on with one out, but Curaçao starter Nelmerson Angela battled back to get a pair of flyouts to right to end the frame.
- Team USA finally got on the scoreboard with a pair of runs in the sixth. Wyatt Langford (Florida) led things off with a base hit and promptly moved to third on a single by Jacob Wilson (Grand Canyon). A wild pitch then plated Langford and bumped Wilson up 90 feet into scoring position. After a deep fly ball allowed Wilson to tag and make his way to third, another run-scoring balk was scored to move the U.S. within a single tally at 3-2.
- That would be as close as the red, white, and blue would get, however, as Curaçao turned the ball over to reliever Alexander Rodriguez who recorded the next four outs of the contest to secure the victory and pick up the save.
NOTABLE INFORMATION
- Ross Dunn gave the U.S. 3.1 strong innings of relief, striking out six and walking two while not yielding a single hit.
- Hunter Waldrop started on the mound and fanned two in 2.1 innings, while allowing three runs on four hits, to suffer the loss.
- Curaçao starting pitcher Nelmerson Angela battled through 5.0 innings for the win, striking out four and walking five while allowing one run on three hits.
- Four U.S. players had one hit each, all of which were singles.
- Brayden Taylor (TCU) and Maui Ahuna both had a stolen base in the contest. The U.S. is now a perfect 9-for-9 on the basepaths at Honkbalweek Haarlem.
- The U.S. entered the game having allowed just one unearned run through the first four games of Honkbalweek Haarlem
- Curaçao’s three-run third snapped a 22.1 inning scoreless streak by the U.S. pitching staff, dating back to the beginning of Sunday’s win over Italy (9-0) and including shutout victories over Cuba (2-0), and The Netherlands (10-0).
- In 33.2 total innings, the U.S. pitching staff has combined to strike out 46, walk only 15, and yield just a single extra-base hit.
- With a 3-2 record, the U.S. has clinched the third seed in the medal rounds and is set for a rematch against second-seeded Curaçao at 3:30 p.m./9:30 a.m. ET at Pim Mulier Stadium on Thursday.
ON DECK
- The Collegiate National Team will get another chance at Curaçao in the semifinals on Thursday, when the two teams square off at 3:30 p.m. local/9:30 a.m. ET at Pim Mulier Stadium.
- Top-seeded Japan and No. 4-seed The Kingdom of the Netherlands will play in the nightcap at 7:30 p.m. local/1:30 p.m. ET.
- The winners of both contests will advance to the gold-medal game at 7 p.m. local/1 p.m. ET on Friday.
- The losers will play for the bronze medal at 2 p.m. local/8 a.m. ET.
SOCIAL MEDIA
- Stay tuned to @USABaseballCNT on Twitter for the most up-to-date news about the 2022 Collegiate National Team Training Camp.
