Box Score | Plays | Cumulative Stats

TAINAN, Taiwan – Team USA erupted for fourteen runs in the sixth inning to storm past Japan, 21-6, in pool play action at the VI World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) U-12 Baseball World Cup on Saturday afternoon at Asia-Pacific Main Stadium in Tainan, Taiwan.

With the win, Team USA is now 2-0 in Group B play.

Leading 7-6 entering the final frame, the U.S. rallied for 14 runs on nine hits, including two homers, to pull away and secure the 15-run victory. Japan used four pitchers in the sixth-inning outburst as the U.S. plated all 14 batters that reached base. The run-scoring began when Jordan Leon hit a sacrifice fly and Jonah Saken scored on a balk before Anthony Ramon gave the U.S. a five-run lead with a two-RBI double. After five more runs scored, Colin Anderson and Jimmy Stout III hit back-to-back homers to put a cap on the inning.

The game went back and forth in the early stages, as the stars and stripes scored three runs in the first inning to take the lead and built on it with four more in the fourth. Japan put up a four-spot in the fourth inning to make it a one-run game before the U.S. put the contest out of reach in the sixth.

Jordan Leon got the start for Team USA and pitched three innings, allowing three runs (two earned) on three hits. Cristian Matos pitched the final two frames for the U.S., allowing just one hit and striking out three to secure the second win of the tournament for Team USA.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• After a single, error, and walk loaded the bases to open the game, Anthony Ramon capped an eight-pitch at-bat with an RBI groundout to put the U.S. up 1-0.
• Anthony Frausto singled to plate Dylan Mercado and Trent O’Malley, giving Team USA a 3-0 lead in the top of the first.
• Japan got right back into the game in the bottom of the third when Shunei Kashiwagi hit a two-run homer to left to trim Japan’s deficit to 3-2.
• The U.S. answered back in the top of the fourth, loading the bases before Jonah Saken bounced a two-run single up the middle to put Team USA’s lead back at three.
• The stars and stripes extended their lead to 7-2 in the top of the fourth when Ty Chambless and Jonah Saken both scored on a wild pitch.
• Japan responded in the bottom of the fourth to get within a run. Akihiro Kobayashi hit a sacrifice fly to make it a four-run game and Rio Ishikawa hit an RBI infield single as Japan trimmed the lead to 7-4.
• Junto Tsuchiya and Shunei Kashiwagi hit back-to-back doubles to cut Team USA’s lead to 7-6 in the bottom of the fourth.
• The 14-run sixth for Team USA started when Levi Kerr walked and Jonah Saken doubled to put the first two hitters in scoring position. Jordan Leon followed with a sacrifice fly and Saken was plated on a balk to put Team USA in front, 9-6.
• Anthony Ramon doubled in two runs and Tristin Gaines put down an RBI bunt single to make it 12-6 Team USA, and Levi Kerr and Jonah Saken each drove in runs to extend the lead to eight.
• Jordan Leon and Trent O’Malley notched back-to-back RBI base hits as the U.S. lead grew to 16-6 in the sixth.
• With the bases loaded and two outs in the sixth, Colin Anderson launched a pinch-hit grand slam and Jimmy Stout III followed with a pinch-hit solo homer to give Team USA the 21-6 lead it would go on to win by.

OF NOTE

• Twenty-one runs are the most Team USA has scored against Japan in team history. The U.S. is now 4-0 all-time against Japan.
• The stars and stripes have outscored opponents 45-6 through their first two games, giving them the best run differential through two WBSC U-12 Baseball World Cup games in team history.
• By scoring 24 runs on Friday against the Czech Republic and 21 runs on Saturday against Japan, the U.S. has posted the two highest run totals so far at the VI WBSC U-12 Baseball World Cup.
• Jonah Saken posted a perfect 4-for-4 night at the plate and owns a 1.000 batting average (5-for-5) through two tournament games.
• Colin Anderson’s grand slam was the second of the tournament for Team USA (Anthony Frausto vs. Czech Republic).
• Colin Anderson (4), Anthony Ramon (3), Jonah Saken (3), and Jordan Leon (2) combined for 12 of Team USA’s 15 RBIs in the win.
• Dylan Mercado drew three walks and scored each time, tying him with Trent O’Malley and Jonah Saken for the game-high in runs scored.
• With his two RBIs in Saturday’s win, Jordan Leon has now driven in a tournament-best seven runs through two games and just six at-bats.
• The U.S. now sits atop Group B with a 2-0 record, followed by Korea (1-0), Japan (0-1), and the Czech Republic (0-2). The Dominican Republic (0-0) has not yet played a game at the VI WBSC U-12 Baseball World Cup.

ON DECK

Team USA will take on the Dominican Republic on Sunday morning at 10:30 a.m. local time (Saturday at 10:30 p.m. ET) in more Group B action.

SOCIAL MEDIA

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