CARY, N.C. – The Stars and Stripes finished Monday’s game in a 2-2 deadlock in the second game of 18U National Team Training Camp Phase 2 at the USA Baseball National Training Complex.
Starting pitchers Carson Bolemon and Kaden Waechter set the tone with three scoreless innings each and the bullpens followed with strong outings in the low-scoring contest. On the offensive side, Grady Emerson led the way with three hits, including a double off the right-field wall that left his bat at 100 mph.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- After working around a one-out single in the first, Bolemon struck out the side in the top of the second inning to highlight his three-inning start.
- An error and a walk put two runners on base for the Stars in the second inning against Waechter, but the righthander locked in and picked up a strikeout to keep the game scoreless.
- The Stripes opened the scoring in the fourth inning on a sacrifice fly by Anthony Murphy to bring home Jacob Lombard, who drew an eight-pitch walk to begin the frame.
- Jaden Jackson went the other way on a 2-1 pitch and served it into left field for an RBI single later in the fourth inning to give the Stripes a 2-0 lead.
- In his first at-bat of the day, Trevor Condon blooped a single to left field and later scored on a throwing error to score the Stars first run of the contest in the bottom of the fifth and trim their deficit to one.
- Murphy reached on an error to kick off the top of the sixth for the Stripes but was immediately erased by Will Brick on a caught stealing.
- The Stripes threatened to extend their lead in the seventh, loading the bases on a James Clark single, an error, and a walk. But Stars’ reliever Joseph Contreras was able to get himself out of it, notching a swinging strikeout to keep the game at 2-1.
- Lucas Nawrocki coaxed a fielder’s choice and a strikeout with the bases juiced in the bottom of the seventh to escape trouble and keep the Stripes in front by a run.
- With the Stars down to their final out in the bottom of the eighth and final frame, Eric Booth Jr. hit an RBI single to left field to bring home Trey Ebel and make it a 2-2 final score.
NOTABLES
- The starting pitching was dominant for the second consecutive game, as Bolemon and Waechter each turned in three innings of one-hit ball. Bolemon had a game-high five strikeouts, followed by RJ Cope, who punched out four batters.
- Emerson led all players with three hits in the contest. He is now batting .571 (4-for-7) at the halfway point of Training Camp.
- The trio of Clark, Jackson, and Kevin Roberts Jr. all reached base twice for the Stripes in the second game of the series. Brody Schumaker drew three walks for the Stars.
- Stars’ pitchers combined for 11 strikeouts, with each arm punching out at least one batter.
- The pitchers have had the upper hand so far at Training Camp, yielding just seven combined runs through two games while striking out 35 batters.
ON DECK
18U National Team Training Camp Phase 2 continues on Tuesday, with game three of the Stars vs. Stripes series set for 10:30 a.m. ET at Coleman Field. Follow all the action live via AWRE Sports at USABaseball.TV and on social media at @USABaseball18U (X) and @USABaseball (Instagram).
