BRADENTON, Fla. – Team USA scored five runs in the third inning and made several key defensive plays to beat Mexico, 7-5, in the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) U-18 Baseball World Cup Super Round on Friday night at LECOM Park in Bradenton, Florida.
The U.S. is now one win away from clinching a spot in the gold medal game.
As he has all tournament, Bryce Eldridge (Vienna, Va.) delivered in the clutch for Team USA. With the U.S. trailing 3-2 in the third, Eldridge came to the plate with the bases loaded and socked a two-run double into the right-center field gap to put the team in front. Then, on the next pitch, Eldridge came home on an RBI single by Colt Emerson (Cambridge, Ohio) to extend Team USA’s lead before two more runs scored on an error and the U.S. built a 7-2 advantage.
Mexico chipped into the lead with two runs in the fourth, but Aidan Miller (Trinity, Fla.) turned a crucial double play to stop the rally and regain the momentum. With the bases loaded and one out in the fourth, Mexico’s Manuel Alarcon hit a fly ball to right field for what looked to be a sacrifice fly. Instead, Miller caught the ball and fired it home for a 9-3, inning-ending double play to preserve the two-run lead. Later in the game, Max Clark (Franklin, Ind.) had a clutch snag of his own, making a diving play with the tying runs on and two out in the sixth to hold off Mexico.
Eldridge paced the U.S. offense, picking up a team-high two RBIs with the go-ahead hit in the third. Miller continued his hot stretch at the dish, picking up a hit, driving in a run, drawing a walk, and scoring a run. Dylan Cupp (Cedartown, Ga.) and Emerson – who also scored twice in the win – added the team’s two other RBIs.
After Blake Dickerson (Virginia Beach, Va.) started for Team USA and allowed two earned runs over 1.2 innings pitched, Adam Hachman (Wentzville, Mo.) entered in relief and earned the win. Hachman worked 1.1 innings, striking out three and allowing two earned runs. Christian Rodriguez (Coral Gables, Fla.) was clutch out of the bullpen for the U.S., holding Mexico to just one hit in three scoreless innings, before Eldridge recorded the save with a scoreless seventh. Mexico’s Juan Tirado threw 0.2 innings and allowed five runs (two earned) to suffer the loss.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Mexico plated its first run on a single and error before scoring again on Yael Romero’s RBI single to go up 2-0 in the first.
- Max Clark walked and scored on a sacrifice fly by Aidan Miller in the bottom of the first to trim the United States’ deficit to one.
- After two walks put a pair on with two outs for Mexico in the second, Rosman Verdugo singled to center field to give Mexico a 3-1 lead.
- With Colt Emerson on third base in the second, Dylan Cupp laid down a perfect bunt to bring home a run and trim the Mexico lead to 3-2.
- Bryce Eldridge came to the plate with the bases full in the third and delivered a two-run double, giving the U.S. its first lead of the game at 4-3.
- Colt Emerson lined a single back up the middle to score Aidan Miller, and Bryce Eldridge and Emerson later scored on an error to give Team USA a 7-3 lead in the third.
- An RBI single and a bases-loaded walk got Mexico within two in the fourth, but a perfect throw to the plate by Aidan Miller turned a crucial double play to keep the United States up by two.
- Mexico threatened again in the fifth, putting two runners on before a diving play by Max Clark in left field preserved the 7-5 lead for the U.S.
- Bryce Eldridge entered in the seventh and worked around a one-out single to register the save and secure the 7-5 win.
OF NOTE
- Bryce Eldridge’s two-RBI performance vaults him into the tournament lead with 10 runs batted in.
- By reaching base twice in the win, Aidan Miller raised his on-base percentage to a tournament-best .680.
- Colt Emerson and Aidan Miller are now tied for the World Cup lead in runs with 10.
- Thanks to Colt Emerson’s stolen base in Friday’s win, Team USA is now 17-for-18 on stolen base attempts in the tournament.
- Christian Rodriguez turned in three clutch innings out of the bullpen for the stars and stripes, allowing just one hit and striking out three to maintain the team’s lead.
- The U.S. pitching staff struck out 10 batters in the victory.
- The United States now owns a 22-4 all-time record against Mexico at the U-18 level.
- With the win, Team USA improves to 6-1 overall and 3-1 in the WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup Super Round.
ON DECK
Team USA wraps up WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup Super Round play on Saturday, taking on Japan. With a win, the U.S. secures its spot in the gold medal game. First pitch is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. ET at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota, Florida.
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.
