DURHAM, N.C. – A walk-off walk in extra innings handed the Stripes their first victory over the Stars in the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team Trials on Saturday evening at Durham Bulls Athletic Park.
In what was designated as a seven-inning contest, the pitching dominated during regulation. Between the two teams, nine combined pitchers yielded just nine hits and no runs in the first seven frames while striking out 14 batters.
The eighth inning was played under international tiebreaker rules which helped to jumpstart the offenses on both sides.
After the Stars put the first tally on the scoreboard with a Jacob Gonzalez (Ole Miss) sac fly in the top of the frame, the Stripes were able to do them one better in their half of the inning as an RBI groundout by Yohandy Morales (Miami) and a bases-loaded walk to Jake Gelof (Virginia) gave them a 2-1 walk-off victory.
KEY MOMENTS
- After a quiet first inning by both teams, the Stars offense quickly loaded the bases with one out in the top of the second with a pair of singles by Brock Wilken (Wake Forest) and Tre’ Morgan (LSU) and a walk to Brayden Taylor (TCU). Stripes starting pitcher Carter Holton (Vanderbilt) wriggled out of the jam, however, getting a foul-out to first and a three-pitch punchout to end the threat.
- It was the Stripes’ turn to put on some pressure in the fifth when Jake Gelof (Virginia) led off the stanza with a walk before a throwing error and a fielder’s choice quickly moved him up to third and put runners on the corners with one out. The next batter hit a hard grounder to second, but Jacob Wilson (Grand Canyon) made a strong throw to the plate to nab the runner at the plate. Luke Savage (TCU) then came out of the bullpen to end the inning with a strikeout, keeping the game scoreless.
- The Stripes nearly walked it off in the bottom of the seventh after back-to-back two-out singles by Christian Knapczyk (Louisville) and Ryan Lasko (Rutgers) but Braden Montgomery (Stanford) trotted in from the pen and struck out the next batter to send the game to extra innings.
- In the extra frame Jaden Woods (Georgia) came on to pitch for the Stripes and held the Stars to just one run despite two runners starting the inning on base. That tally came via a sacrifice fly off the bat of Jacob Gonzalez (Ole Miss) before a flyout stranded two others on the bases.
- The Stripes were able to execute their strategy in the home half of the inning when Wyatt Langford (Florida) laid down a perfect sac bunt to move both runners into scoring position with just one out. Following an intentional walk to load the bases, the Stars looked to have escaped with the win when Jacob Gonzalez (Ole Miss) made a terrific play up the middle and nearly started a game-ending double play but Yohandy Morales (Miami) hustled all the way down the line and narrowly beat the relay throw to first. That would pave the way for the victory as consecutive walks to Vance Honeycutt (North Carolina) and Jake Gelof (Virginia) promptly brought in the game-winning run.
NOTABLE INFORMATION
- Stars starting pitcher Paul Skenes struck out four batters and yielded just two hits in 3.2 scoreless innings.
- Stripes starting pitcher Carter Holton (Vanderbilt) put up 2.1 scoreless frames in which he struck out one.
- TCU teammates River Ridings and Luke Savage pitched back-to-back for the Stars. Ridings went 1.0 inning with one punchout while Savage recorded four outs, including two by strikeout.
- Local standout Jonathan Santucci (Duke) retired all five batters that he faced for the Stripes.
- Mason Nichols (Ole Miss), Zach Agnos (East Carolina), and Braden Montgomery (Stanford) each recorded a scoreless inning out of the bullpen for the Stripes.
- Jaden Woods (Georgia) picked up the win with two strikeouts in the top of the eighth.
- LuJames Groover III (NC State) reached base in all four of his plate appearances, going 2-for-2 with a pair of singles and two walks.
- A day after they both hit home runs, Dylan Crews (LSU) and Jacob Wilson (Grand Canyon) both had a double in Saturday’s contest.
- Brock Wilken (Wake Forest) was 1-for-3 in the contest and now leads all players in the CNT training camp with a .417 (5-for-12) batting average.
- With the Stripes winning on Saturday, the Stars now hold a 2-1 lead in the five-game series which includes one more game in Durham, N.C., and another in Charlotte, N.C.
ON DECK
- Sunday, July 3: Stars vs. Stripes (6:35 p.m. ET; Durham Bulls Athletic Park)
SOCIAL MEDIA
- Stay tuned to @USABaseballCNT on Twitter for the most up-to-date news about the 2022 Collegiate National Team Training Camp.
