Box Score | PxP | Cumulative Stats

HERMOSILLO, Mexico. – The USA Baseball 15U National Team used an eight-run seventh inning to pull away from Puerto Rico in a 15-4 victory on Monday at Estadio Hector Espino in Hermosillo, Mexico. The win clinched the top spot in Group C for Team USA and moved its record to 4-0 in the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) U-15 Baseball World Cup.

Team USA led from the second pitch on in the contest, but Puerto Rico hung around up until the seventh inning when the red, white, and blue plated eight runs to shut the door. The stars and stripes scored two in the first, and two in the second, holding off Puerto Rico, and carried a 4-3 lead into the fourth. Two runs in the fifth, and a run in the sixth widened the gap to 7-4 heading into the final frame. Nine walks in the seventh allowed Team USA to put the game out of reach.

As a team, the U.S. drew 13 walks (six of which were hit-by-pitch, a USA Baseball 15U single-game record), and only struck out twice to go along with eight stolen bases, and nine hits. On the mound, the pitching staff limited Puerto Rico to just three hits and a .136 batting average.

Coy James (Advance, N.C.) got things going with a first inning home run and the U.S. never looked back. James went 1-for-4 on the day with the home run, two RBIs, two runs scored, and a walk. Ryan Mitchell (Germantown, Tenn.) had another productive day at the plate, going 2-for-3 with a double, two-RBIs, and a run scored. Brady Murrietta (Yorba Linda, Calif.) used a sacrifice fly and a sacrifice bunt to earn two RBIs on the day. Grady Emerson (Argyle, Texas) had one of the most exciting plays in the tournament, stealing home with the bases loaded during the pitcher’s wind-up.

Carson Bolemon (Greenville, S.C.) worked 2.0 hitless innings to start the game and struck out three. Alexander Mercurius (Las Vegas, Nev.) earned his second win in as many days, going 2.0 innings in relief with a strikeout. Zane Burns (Chandler, Ariz.) came out of the bullpen for 2.0 innings and punched out two.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• On the second pitch of the game, Coy James sent a ball over the fence and the U.S. bench into a frenzy.
• Ryan Mitchell doubled to left field, Brady Ebel moved him to third with a sacrifice bunt, and Andrew Costello brought him home with a sacrifice fly to move Team USA ahead, 2-0.
• In the bottom half of the first, Puerto Rico used walks to cut the deficit in half but were stifled by Carson Bolemon after that, and Team USA took a 2-1 lead into the second.
• Ryan Harwood and James Tronstein reached via hit-by-pitch and Coy James drew a walk before Ryan Mitchell doubled Team USA’s score with a two-RBI single to give the U.S. a 4-1 lead.
• Puerto Rico capitalized on a U.S. error in the bottom of the second to make the score read 4-2, still in Team USA’s favor.
• In the bottom of the third, Puerto Rico scored on a sacrifice fly, but Alexander Mercurius got the swinging strikeout to end the inning and keep Team USA’s lead in-tact, 4-3.
• Andrew Costello doubled, and Brady Ebel singled to set up a sacrifice bunt by Brady Murrietta to increase the stars and stripes’ lead to 5-3 to start the fifth inning.
• Ethan Holliday singled Brady Ebel home a batter later to give Team USA a 6-3 cushion.
• A wild pitch gave Puerto Rico its fourth run of the game, cutting Team USA’s lead to 6-4 heading into the sixth inning.
• With the bases loaded in the top of the sixth, Grady Emerson caught Puerto Rico off-guard and stole home during the pitcher’s wind-up to put the U.S. ahead 7-4.
• In the top of the seventh, Team USA drew three straight walks before Coy James was hit-by-pitch, Grady Emerson drew a walk, Andrew Costello was hit-by-pitch, and Brady Ebel reached on a fielder’s choice, scoring James and Emerson to grow Team USA’s lead to 12-4.
• After a Puerto Rico pitching change led to another hit-by-pitch, Ethan Holliday drew a walk on a wild pitch that Brady Ebel scored on, Ryan Harwood singled through the left side to score Holliday, and two batters later, Alex Harrington scored on a wild pitch, making it 15-4 in Team USA’s favor.

NOTABLE

• Team USA went 4-0 in WBSC U-15 Baseball World Cup Pool Play, clinching first place in Group C, and secured a spot in the Super Round.
• Coy James hit Team USA’s third home run of the U-15 World Cup to start the game.
• Ryan Mitchell went 2-for-3 with a double, two RBIs, and a run scored.
• Brady Murrietta gathered two RBIs via a sacrifice bunt and a sacrifice fly.
• Grady Emerson took advantage of a bases loaded situation and stole home during the Puerto Rico pitcher’s wind-up.
• Alexander Mercurius earned his second win in as many days in 2.0 innings of relief work.

ON DECK
The 2022 15U National Team has an off-day before WBSC U-15 Baseball World Cup Super Round play begins on Wednesday, August 31  in Hermosillo, Mexico.

SOCIAL MEDIA
Stay tuned to @USABaseball15U on Twitter for the most up-to-date news about the 2022 15U National Team.