OKINAWA, Japan – CJ Sampson allowed just one hit in five shutout innings to help Team USA beat China, 10-0, in a run-rule victory in World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) U-18 Baseball World Cup pool play action on Monday morning at Okinawa Cellular Stadium.

The U.S. remains atop the Group B standings at 4-0 with one pool play game left on the schedule.

Sampson’s outing was as efficient as it gets. The righty needed just 58 pitches–48 of them being strikes–to finish five innings. He only faced one batter over the minimum in the start, which was highlighted by an immaculate inning in the second frame. The only batter to reach base was China’s (0-4) three-hole hitter, Yitong Li, who worked a seven-pitch at-bat and then singled through the left side. After that, Sampson locked back in and retired the final four batters on just 12 pitches.

On the offensive side, Team USA put up a four-spot in the first inning for the second straight day. Aiden Ruiz continued his hot tournament with a single before he scored on a wild pitch, and Will Brick smoked a two-run triple to left field to make it a quick 4-0 lead. The U.S. added a run in the third, and Coleman Borthwick, Jacob Lombard, and Anthony Murphy all chipped in RBI doubles later on en route to the 10-0 final.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• A bunt single by Ruiz and a series of wild pitches brought home Team USA’s first run in the opening frame.
• After Borthwick drew a walk and scored on an error, Brick came to the plate and roped a two-run triple to left field, making it a four-spot in the first inning for the second straight day. The hit left Brick’s bat at 106 mph.
• Sampson’s efficiency was on full display in the top of the second when he turned in an immaculate inning against the middle of China’s order.
• Brick hit a double with two outs in the third and on the next pitch, Jaden Jackson served an RBI knock through the right side to bring Brick home and make it 5-0 Team USA.
• The stars and stripes’ advantage grew to 8-0 in the fourth when Emerson, Borthwick, and Murphy all doubled in a five-batter span to produce three runs.
• Needing two more runs to finish off a run-rule victory, the United States rattled off four consecutive hits in the fifth; Jackson singled and scored on a Lombard double, and back-to-back singles by Emerson and Brody Schumaker led to the 10th and final run of the win.

NOTABLES

• With Sampson’s five shutout frames, Team USA lowered its tournament-leading team ERA to 0.27. The staff has a 0.62 WHIP, .128 BAA, and 35 strikeouts, all tops in the tournament.
• In 26 innings pitched, the U.S. pitchers have only allowed runs in one frame (3 R/1 ER in the fifth inning vs. Germany).
• Five different U.S. players collected two hits in the win: Borthwick, Brick, Emerson, Jackson, and Ruiz.
• With a double and triple on Monday, Brick raised his tournament OPS to 1.768, which leads all players at the World Cup.
• Ruiz’s two-hit day gives him three multi-hit performances in four games at the World Cup. The shortstop has a tournament-leading eight hits.
• Team USA stole six bases against China and sits atop the leaderboard in steals for the tournament with 12. U.S. baserunners have not yet gotten caught stealing.
• The United States is now 3-0 all-time against China at the U-18 level. Monday’s meeting was the first between the two nations since 2000.

ON DECK

The stars and stripes wrap up pool play on Tuesday morning against Australia. First pitch from Okinawa Cellular Stadium is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. JST/9:30 p.m. ET (Sept. 8). Catch all the action live on Gametime.sport.