CIUDAD JUÁREZ, Mexico – Team USA scored seven runs in the top of the eighth inning to beat Nicaragua, 11-4, in its second game of the 2025 World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) Pan American Championship on Sunday afternoon at Estadio Juárez Vive.

The U.S. improves to 2-0 in the opening round and is scheduled to take on Costa Rica in its next matchup.

Nolyn Nickels got the nod on the mound and put forth a solid three innings of work to begin the contest. The lefty was effective throughout his outing and worked his way through traffic when needed as he yielded a mere run with three strikeouts. The combination of Kekoa Delatori, Jaden Freeze, and Trent O’Malley closed out the contest on the bump.

Jason Marll Jr. highlighted Team USA’s offensive attack with his fifth-inning solo shot to deep left field while the seven-run eighth frame was sparked by the bat of Noah Jarolimek, who swatted a two-RBI single through the left side. Louis Lappe, who got on via intentional walk prior to Jarolimek’s hit, found his way home on a throwing error to continue the run. Landon King and Tristin Gaines pitched in with a pair of two-RBI hits to complete the inning and secure the win.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• After a scoreless first two frames, Nicaragua’s Edrian Solorzano put his side in front with an RBI single in the bottom of the third.
• The stars and stripes answered back in the top of the fourth inning with two runs. King drew a walk and Colin Anderson followed with a double to move him to third, where he would eventually score on a wild pitch. Lappe plated Anderson shortly after on a sacrifice fly to right field.
• Team USA’s Delatori found himself in trouble early when he came on in the bottom of the fourth. While Nicaragua snuck a run home on a bases-loaded double play, Delatori settled in and forced a fly out to end the inning.
• With the game tied at two runs apiece, Marll Jr. slammed a solo homer to left field in the top of the fifth inning to give his side a 3-2 advantage.
• Nicaragua responded to the homer in quick fashion and regained the lead on a Brandon Neira two-RBI single in the home half of the fifth.
• Down by a run and with momentum shifting, Jarolimek hit a two-out double in the sixth to put a runner in scoring position. Marll Jr. took advantage of the situation three pitches later and tied the game at 4-4 with an RBI single through the right side.
• Both defenses held strong over the next few outs, forcing the game into an extra inning affair, where runners are automatically put on first and second per the international tiebreaker rule.
• The U.S. exploded in the top of the eighth, plating seven runs via a trio of two-RBI hits via Jarolimek, Gaines, and King. Lappe added on another run after he was able to come home due to an errant throw.
• Leading 11-4 in the bottom of the eighth, Freeze and O’Malley secured the win from the bump. Freeze struck out a batter and forced a fly out while O’Malley came on for the final out and needed only four pitches to nab a strikeout and secure the win.

NOTABLES

• The foursome of Gaines, Jarolimek, King, and Marll Jr. each notched two RBIs. King used three hits - two of which were doubles - to achieve the feat which led all batters in the contest.
• Team USA’s Freeze, who earned the win on the mound, went 3.1 frames of scoreless baseball. The righty yielded a single hit while striking out a pair of batters.
• U.S. batters compiled five doubles throughout the match.
• On top of his pair of hits, Marll Jr. drew a game-best two walks. His homer was also the first of the tournament among all teams.

ON DECK

The 15U National Team has a scheduled off day on September 15. Games will pick back up the day after where the stars and stripes are set to take on Costa Rica at 3:00 p.m. MDT/5:00 p.m. ET.