TAINAN, Taiwan – Team USA cranked a record-breaking eight home runs en route to a 24-0 victory over the Czech Republic in the opening game of the VI World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) U-12 Baseball World Cup on Friday afternoon in Tainan, Taiwan.
The eight homers are the most Team USA has ever hit in a WBSC U-12 Baseball World Cup game.
The U.S. offense came out firing in the bottom of the first, hitting four homers in a 14-run frame. Jordan Leon (Northridge, Calif.) hit a pair of home runs in the inning, starting with a two-run blast to plate Jonah Saken (Brentwood, Tenn.) and give Team USA an immediate 2-0 lead. Leon followed with another blast later in the frame, cranking a three-run homer to left field before Trent O’Malley (Great Falls, Va.) followed with a roundtripper in the following at-bat. Eli Martinez (Beaumont, Calif.) capped off the rally with a three-run homer to left field, giving Team USA a 14-0 advantage after the first.
The U.S. hit another four homers in a 10-run third inning. Major Ciers (Conroe, Texas) hit the first blast of the inning, a two-run shot to left center, before Cristian Matos (Belleville, N.J.) and Max Villalva (El Cajon, Calif.) went back-to-back for the sixth and seventh home runs of the game. Anthony Frausto (New Braunfels, Texas) put the finishing touches on the win with a grand slam over the left field wall, making it 24-0 in favor of the U.S.
Dylan Mercado (Houston, Texas) got the start on the mound for Team USA, tossing two scoreless frames with three strikeouts to earn the win. Jimmy Stout III (Artesia, Calif.) entered in relief and turned in a pair of hitless innings, allowing just one walk and striking out four.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The Czech Republic threatened with a two-out rally in the top of the first, putting two runners on base before Dylan Mercado picked up a strikeout to keep the visitors off the board.
- After Jonah Saken socked a double into right center field to open the bottom of the first, Jordan Leon deposited a two-run homer over the wall in center field to make it 2-0 in favor of Team USA.
- Trent O’Malley tripled and scored on an RBI double by Colin Anderson to extend the U.S. lead to three in the first, and Tristin Gaines made it a 5-0 advantage with a two-run single through the right side.
- Ty Chambless hit a sacrifice fly and Max Villalva had an RBI single to plate two more runs for the stars and stripes and make it an 8-0 lead in the first.
- Jordan Leon and Trent O’Malley hit back-to-back homers to extend Team USA’s lead to 11-0 in the bottom of the first.
- Colin Anderson and Levi Kerr each walked and Eli Martinez clubbed a three-run homer to cap the 14-run bottom of the first for the U.S.
- Levi Kerr led off Team USA’s half of the third with a triple and immediately scored on a two-run homer by Major Ciers to give the stars and stripes a 16-0 lead.
- Team USA’s advantage grew to 19 in the bottom of the third when Cristian Matos homered to left center and Max Villalva followed with a solo shot to center.
- Major Ciers picked up his third RBI of the game with a run-scoring single up the middle in the third, plating Alan Parker, who reached on a walk.
- Anthony Frausto smoked a line-drive grand slam to left field to give Team USA a 24-0 lead in the bottom of the third.
- Jimmy Stout III retired the side in order in the top of the fourth, striking out a pair to secure the opening-game win for Team USA.
OF NOTE
- Team USA’s 14 runs in the first inning were the team’s most first-inning runs scored in the WBSC U-12 Baseball World Cup since 2013 against Pakistan (15).
- By scoring 24 runs, the U.S. set a new team record for most runs scored in a WBSC U-12 Baseball World Cup opening game.
- The stars and stripes remain unbeaten in the opening game of the VI WBSC U-12 Baseball World Cup, improving to 5-0 all-time.
- Jordan Leon had a game-high five RBIs in the win. His homer in the bottom of the first was the first of the WBSC U-12 Baseball World Cup.
- Seven U.S. players had at least two hits in the victory, with Trent O’Malley notching three knocks to lead the way.
- Levi Kerr and Trent O’Malley each scored a game-high three runs in the win.
- Dylan Mercado and Jimmy Stout III struck out seven batters in the shutout victory and allowed no hits after the Czech Republic had two singles in the first inning.
- Team USA moved to 2-0 all-time against the Czech Republic.
ON DECK
- Team USA is back in action on Saturday, July 30, at 2:30 p.m. local/2:30 a.m. ET, continuing pool play action with a matchup against Japan.
SOCIAL MEDIA
- Stay tuned to @USABaseball12U on Twitter for the most up-to-date news about the 2022 12U National Team.
