HAARLEM, Netherlands – Tanner Hall (Southern Miss) and Teddy McGraw (Wake Forest) combined to throw a four-hit shutout as the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team slid past Cuba, 2-0, on Monday evening at Pim Mulier Stadium in Haarlem, Netherlands.
Hall started and struck out seven batters in 4.0 scoreless innings to earn the win before handing the ball over to McGraw who was credited with the save after fanning four over the game’s final three frames.
The U.S. managed just two hits in the seven-inning contest, but they were back-to-back two-out RBI singles by Jacob Gonzalez (Ole Miss) and Wyatt Langford (Florida). Enrique Bradfield (Vanderbilt) also played a big role in the win, stealing two bases and scoring the game-winning run.
With the victory, Team USA improves to 2-1 at Honkbalweek Haarlem where it has yielded just one unearned run over the first three games. Cuba falls to 0-3 with the loss.
KEY MOMENTS
- Team USA was the first to put a runner in scoring position, doing so in the bottom of the first when Enrique Bradfield (Vanderbilt) was hit by a pitch, quickly stole second, and moved to third on a fielder’s choice. He was left stranded there, however, after Cuban starting pitcher Juan Rodriguez struck out the next batter to end the frame.
- Bradfield reached again in the third when he bounced into a fielder’s choice for the second out, but he put his speed to use shortly after, stealing second for second time in three innings. After a walk to Dylan Crews (LSU), Jacob Gonzalez (Ole Miss) lined an RBI single to right and Wyatt Lanford (Florida) followed with a base hit back up the middle four pitches later to make it a 2-0 lead for the U.S.
- Cuba tried to mount a rally in the top of the fourth, using three singles to load the bases with just one out. Tanner Hall (Southern Miss) responded with two huge strikeouts to keep the U.S. lead intact.
- The Cubans took advantage of Team USA’s first error of Honkbalweek Haarlem to get a leadoff baserunner in the top of the sixth. Frederich Cepeda, a 25-year veteran of professional baseball, laced the next pitch through the left side and a balk moments later moved both runners into scoring position with just one out. This time it was Teddy McGraw’s (Wake Forest) turn to buckle down and he did just that, blowing fastballs by the next two batters to strike them both out and defuse the threat.
NOTABLE INFORMATION
- Tanner Hall (Southern Miss) started for Team USA and struck out seven batters while allowing just three hits and two walks over 4.0 shutout innings to earn the win.
- Teddy McGraw (Wake Forest) claimed the save after closing out the contest with four punchouts over 3.0 innings of one-hit ball.
- Both of Team’s USA’s hits were two-out RBI singles which came back-to-back by Joseph Gonzalez (Ole Miss) and Wyatt Langford (Florida) in the third inning.
- Enrique Bradfield (Vanderbilt) stole two bases and scored the game-winning run.
- Maui Ahuna walked twice in the contest.
- The U.S. has allowed just one unearned run through the first three games of Honkbalweek Haarlem, which came in an extra-inning tiebreaker situation in a 1-0 loss to Japan in the tournament opener. Team USA has fired 14.0 scoreless innings since with shutout wins over Italy (9-0) and Cuba (2-0).
- The U.S. has committed just one error through the first three games, which ties for the fewest among the six teams in the tournament.
ON DECK
- The Collegiate National Team next plays at 7:30 p.m. local/1:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday when it takes on the Netherlands at Pim Mulier Stadium.
SOCIAL MEDIA
- Stay tuned to @USABaseballCNT on Twitter for the most up-to-date news about the 2022 Collegiate National Team Training Camp.
