CARY, N.C. - A four-run sixth inning proved to be the difference as the Stripes defeated the Stars, 6-5, in the first game of the 2019 USA Baseball 16U National Team Development Program (NTDP) Thursday night at Coleman Field in Cary, North Carolina.

Jayson Jones (Savannah, Texas) paced the Stripes offense, going 1-for-1 with two RBIs. Additionally, Devin Obee (Nashville, Tenn.) also had an efficient night from the plate, going 2-for-3 with an RBI. On the other side of the ball, the Stars combined for 10 hits and five runs scored in the game.

Four different pitchers from each team spent time on the mound. Gavin Ochoa earned the win for Stripes, while Samuel Dutton (Southside, Ala.) tallied three strikeouts over two innings pitched. For the Stars, Cale Lansville fanned four of the six batters he faced.

Key Moments:

• Tyree Reed (Vallejo, Calif.) tallied the game's first run with an RBI-groundout to third which allowed Tyler White (Panoma, Calif.) to reach home.
• After being held scoreless in the first two innings, Stripes responded in the bottom of the second when David Horn (Murrieta, Calif.) hit a hard grounder that reached the center field grass and scored Jones to tie the game up at one run apiece.
• After a failed attempt at a pickoff play, Lorenzo Carter (Bear, Del.) reached home from third to put the Stripes up 2-1. 
• In the top of the fifth, Chase Spencer (Plano, Texas) crossed the plate on a passed ball to tie the game up at 2-2.
• With one out and a runner on second, Thomas Dilandri (Las Vegas) singled on a hard-hit ground ball to left field and brought home Reed to give the Stars a 2-1 lead.
• The Stripes scored four runs in the bottom of the sixth, led by Jones who hit a two-run RBI-double to center field which gave his squad a three-run lead. 
• Spencer was responsible for two runs in the top of the seventh for the Stars, but his team would be held scoreless from there, securing the 6-5 win for the Stripes.

Notable Information:

• The Stripes advance to 1-0 to start the 16U NTDP series.
• The two teams combined for 19 total hits, with the Stars tallying 10 and the Stripes recording 9. 
• Both teams recorded five strikeouts each on the day.

Up Next:

• Game two of the 16U NTDP will take place on Thursday, August 2, at 7:00 p.m. EST at Coleman Field in Cary, N.C. 

Social Media:

• Stay tuned to @USABaseballNTDP on Twitter and visit USABaseball.com for the most up-to-date news about the 17U National Team Development Program.