EULESS, Texas – The Stars rallied for three runs in the fifth inning to top the Stripes, 5-2, in the finale of the 2021 12U National Team Trials Series at The Parks at Texas Star in Euless, Texas.

With the game tied in the top of the fifth, Hudson Brown (Iola, Texas) delivered a two-out, two-run single to put the Stars in the lead. Brown then stole a base and scored on an error to give the Stars a three-run lead before the bullpen secured the win.

Seven different players had a hit for the Stars in the win. Brown, Levi Kerr (Holly Springs, N.C.), and Isaac Vidal (Miami, Fla.) all drove in runs for the Stars, who also stole four bases.

The Stripes were held to just three hits, paced offensively by Kekahunopo Kong (Mililani, Hawaii), Adrian Villela (Tucson, Ariz.), and Jake Welch (Lehi, Utah). Chase Cotton (Lincoln, Calif.) had the lone RBI for the Stripes.

Kerr earned the win for the Stars, tossing 1.1 scoreless innings with a strikeout. Duncan McLeod (Huntington Beach, Calif.) surrendered the loss for the Stripes. Aaron Garcia (Pico Rivera, Calif.) earned the save, throwing a perfect inning in the final frame.

Key Moments

• After a scoreless first inning, the Stars scored first on an RBI groundout by Kerr in the second. Colt Sampson (Magnolia, Texas) scored on the play to give the Stars a 1-0 lead.
• Jackson Maddix (Pittsburgh, Pa.) led off the top of the third with a single and came around to score on an RBI groundout by Vidal to extend the Stars’ lead to 2-0.
• Julian Martinez (New York, N.Y.) walked to start the bottom of the fourth for the Stripes and eventually scored on Cotton’s RBI groundout. Villela, who doubled earlier in the inning, scored on a balk to tie the game for the Stripes
• The Stars took the lead in the bottom of the fifth. Zachary Estrada (Covina, Calif.) started the rally with a leadoff single and advanced to second with two outs, before Brown’s two-run single gave the Stars a 4-2 lead. Brown then stole third base and scored on a throwing error to make it 5-2 in favor of the Stars.
• After winning an 11-pitch battle with Jared Grindlinger (Huntington Beach, Calif.) to start the bottom of the sixth, Garcia retired the final two batters to secure the win for the Stars.

Notable Information

• With the result, both teams finish Trials with 1-1-1 records.
• Three pitchers did not allow a hit in the win for the Stars. Garcia, Vidal, and Derek Vazquez (Charlotte, N.C.) all held the Stripes hitless in four combined innings of work.
• Vazquez struck out a game-high four batters in two innings pitched.
• Garcia stole two more bases in game three for the Stars, giving him six stolen bases in the series.

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