SARASOTA, Fla. – Team USA suffered its first World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) U-18 Baseball World Cup loss, falling to Chinese Taipei, 6-2, in its Super Round opener on Thursday evening at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota, Florida.
Due to the WBSC Super Round format, the U.S. now owns a 2-1 record in the Super Round.
Chinese Taipei capitalized on Team USA’s shaky defense in the opening frame, scoring twice in the first despite not recording a hit. After an error on a bunt gave the home team its first run, a sacrifice fly by Lin-Chia Wei made it 2-0 in the first. Chinese Taipei then used a four-run third inning to pull away from the U.S., scoring two runs on RBI hits before two more runners touched home on a wild pitch as Taipei built a six-run advantage that Team USA could not overcome.
The U.S. only mustered two hits in the defeat. Both of the team’s runs were scored when Bryce Eldridge (Vienna, Va.) blasted a two-run homer over the batter’s eye to bring home Aidan Miller (Trinity, Fla.) and put Team USA within four runs in the fourth. Colt Emerson’s (Cambridge, Ohio) single to lead off the fourth was the only other hit for the United States, whose only other baserunner – aside from two fielder’s choices – came on a Blake Mitchell (Sinton, Texas) walk in the fourth.
Nien-His Yang threw a complete game to earn the win for Chinese Taipei. Yang allowed three baserunners in Team USA’s two-run fourth but was perfect otherwise, striking out five in the victory. Cameron Johnson (Upper Marlboro, Md.), who departed the game after two batters due to injury, suffered the loss.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Chinese Taipei took a quick 2-0 lead without a hit in the bottom of the first, scoring on an error and sacrifice fly.
- Two singles and a walk loaded the bases for Chinese Taipei in the second but a ground ball to Colt Emerson got the U.S. out of the inning unscathed.
- RBI hits by Sun-Yi Lei and Sung-Jia Xiang extended Chinese Taipei’s lead to 4-0 in the third inning.
- With two outs and the bases loaded in the third, a wild pitch brought home Chun-Wei Lin and Jia-Xiang Sung to put Chinese Taipei in front by six.
- Bryce Eldridge deposited a two-run home run over the batter’s eye in the fourth, bringing home Aidan Miller to get the U.S. on the board and trim the deficit to 6-2.
- The U.S. attempted to mount a rally after a two-out walk put Blake Mitchell on in the fourth, but an inning-ending fielder's choice halted the threat.
- Alex Clemmey held Chinese Taipei hitless over the final three innings to keep the game within striking distance, but the U.S. went down in order in the seventh to lose by four.
OF NOTE
- Bryce Eldridge’s home run went 449 feet and came off the bat at 107 mph.
- With the homer and two RBIs, Bryce Eldridge now leads Team USA in runs batted in (9) and is tied for the team lead in home runs (2).
- By scoring a run in the defeat, Aidan Miller now leads the tournament in runs scored with nine.
- Blake Mitchell threw out another baserunner attempting to steal in the fourth and has now thrown out four of five potential base-stealers in the tournament.
- Alex Clemmey kept the U.S. in the game over the final three innings, allowing just two baserunners to reach. He now has seven strikeouts in six innings pitched.
- The U.S. now sits at 15-7 all-time against Chinese Taipei in the WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup.
- Team USA drops to 5-1 overall in the tournament and 2-1 in the Super Round. The U.S. entered the round with two wins after beating Group A representatives, Korea and the Netherlands, in the Opening Round.
ON DECK
Team USA continues WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup Super Round action on Friday, taking on Mexico. First pitch is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. ET at LECOM Park in Bradenton, Florida.
SOCIAL MEDIA
To follow along with all the action with the 18U National Team, be sure to follow @USABaseball18U on Twitter and @USABaseball on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter.
