CARY, N.C. – The Stripes pitching staff held the Stars to just three hits through 10 frames to take game one, 4-1, in the first intrasquad matchup of the 15U National Team Training Camp at National Training Complex in Cary, North Carolina.
The Stars took advantage of a first-inning free pass issued to James Tronstein, as he promptly stole second and third and then came around to score on Jake Turner’s RBI groundout to give the team an early 1-0 lead.
Although runners for both squads consistently found themselves in scoring position, the pitching staffs kept dealing and neither team could capitalize as the game sat at 1-0 until the sixth inning. That’s when Blake Bowen ignited the Stripes’ offense with a first-pitch line shot to the left center gap to tie the game. Carson Lane followed up with a sacrifice fly to right and put the Stripes up by one, while a wild pitch shortly after plated Teagan Scott and made it 3-1.
The Stripes padded its lead in the eighth after Drew Davis launched a one-out offering to deep center field for the game’s first and only triple; a double steal later in the inning registered the second out, but allowed Davis to advance home and make it 4-1.
The real star of the game was the Stripes’ pitching staff, as the squad held the Stars to only one run on three hits in 10 innings. Starter Wilson Andersen and reliever Cade Allen each did their part, tossing 4.0 frames each while punching out eight and six batters, respectively. Bowen led the Stripes at the plate, as he went 2-for-3 with the game-tying RBI, while Davis notched a hit and scored twice for the winning team.
It was a pitcher’s duel from the beginning, as starter Will Adams held down the bump for Stars’, pumping 4.0 clean innings while striking out six and conceding only three hits. Tronstein and Jael Castillo each went 1-for-3 at the plate for the Stars, with Tronstein collecting a run scored as well. Trey Ebel collected the Stars’ third hit as he was 1-for-1 in addition to a walk.
The Stars vs. Stripes series continues Wednesday evening and will be played at 5:00 p.m. at Coleman Field at the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary, North Carolina. The game will be streamed at USABaseball.TV, and live updates will be provided via Twitter at @USABaseball15U.
