TAIPEI, Taiwan – Team USA scored five runs in the first two innings en route to a 6-2 win over Spain in Opening Round action at the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) U-18 Baseball World Cup at Tianmu Baseball Stadium on Saturday.
The result keeps the United States unbeaten at 2-0 and drops Spain to 0-2 at the World Cup.
Team USA came out of the gates firing on Saturday, scoring three runs in the first and two more in the second to take a commanding lead. The U.S. smoked three triples in the game’s first two innings, including two from leadoff hitter Coy James (Advance, N.C.). James (2-for-4, RBI) was one of two Team USA hitters to collect multiple hits in the win, joined by Konnor Griffin (Florence, Miss.), who went 2-for-3 with a walk. Derek Curiel (West Covina, Calif.), Carter Johnson (Oxford, Ala.), Manny Marin (Miami, Fla.), and PJ Morlando (Summerville, S.C.) all tacked on RBIs.
Johnson got the start on the mound for Team USA and delivered in a big way, turning in five shutout innings to earn the win. After allowing a hit to the first batter he faced, Johnson permitted just one more knock over the remainder of his outing and struck out three batters along the way. Noah Franco (Downey, Calif.) also punched out three while getting the final six outs on the mound for the stars and stripes. Diego Alcala started for Spain and suffered the loss, allowing five runs in 1.2 innings of work.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- James ignited the U.S. offense immediately, tripling on the first pitch of the game and coming home on a pickoff play to put Team USA in the lead.
- Morlando hit the stars and stripes’ second triple of the inning to right field, bringing home Griffin to extend the U.S. lead to two in the first.
- Johnson capped the three-run first inning by skying a sacrifice fly to right field to plate Morlando and make it a 3-0 score.
- After Johnson kept Spain off the board in the second, the advantage became four when Marin drew a walk to begin the U.S half of the frame before coming around to score on James’ second triple in as many innings.
- Curiel’s RBI ground out to second brought home James and grew Team USA’s lead to 5-0 in the second.
- Johnson kept the Spain offense in check in the middle innings, tossing a perfect third and inducing a pair of double plays over the following two frames to maintain his shutout.
- The stars and stripes extended their advantage to six when Levi Sterling (Los Angeles, Calif.) was hit in the back by the first pitch of the fifth inning before later scoring on a bloop single by Marin.
- Spain rallied for two runs in the bottom of the seventh, scoring on a throwing error and an RBI single before Franco coaxed a game-ending fly out to lock down the 6-2 win.
NOTABLES
- With Johnson’s five scoreless innings, U.S. starters have now combined for nine shutout innings over the first two games of the tournament. Ethan Schiefelbein (Corona, Calif.) tossed four scoreless frames in Friday’s win over the Netherlands.
- James became the seventh player in 18U National Team history to hit two triples in a single game, joining a list that features Pete Crow-Armstrong, Druw Jones, Aidan Miller, and Justin Upton.
- Team USA sits atop Group B with a 2-0 record. The stars and stripes are joined by undefeated Japan and Panama, who match up against one another on Saturday night.
- The U.S. improves to 3-0 all-time against Spain at the U-18 level. Saturday was the first meeting between the two sides since 2006.
ON DECK
The U.S. returns to the field again on Sunday, taking on Japan at 3:00 p.m. local/3:00 a.m. ET. Catch all the action from Tianmu Baseball Stadium by watching live on Gametime.sport.
SOCIAL MEDIA
To follow along with all the action with the 18U National Team, be sure to follow @USABaseball18U on Twitter and @USABaseball on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter.
