TEAM LIGHT BLUE AND TEAM GRAY FINISH IN 6-6 TIE THANKS TO LATE-GAME HEROICS FROM CARTER JOHNSON

Box Score | PxP

Carter Johnson hit a game-tying home run on the first pitch of the seventh inning to end the contest between Team Light Blue and Team Gray in a 6-6 tie in the first game of the 2023 Prospect Development Pipeline (PDP) League at the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary, North Carolina.

With the result, both teams kick off PDP League with 0-0-1 records.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Light Blue kicked things off in the top of the opening inning by putting the first run of the day on the board. Slade Caldwell drew a leadoff walk and was sent in to score two batters later after a fielding error in the Gray outfield.
• Team Gray returned the favor in the bottom of the first, plating a run thanks to an infield single from Nicholas Montgomery.
• After a scoreless second inning, Burke-Lee Mabeus hit an RBI single in the top of the third to score a run and give the Light Blue squad the lead back.
• The score was evened up at 2-2 by Team Gray in the bottom of the fourth courtesy of an RBI single by Brodie Johnston.
• Light Blue managed to grab a 3-2 lead in the fifth when Kale Fountain drew a walk and scored on a wild pitch.
• Noah Franco picked up his first hit of the game for Team Light Blue in the sixth with a single to right. After stealing second, he was driven in to score by PJ Morlando’s RBI base hit that made it 4-2 in favor of Light Blue.
• A Michael Torres single and a fielding error by Team Gray provided Light Blue with two more insurance runs and set the score at 6-2 heading into the bottom of the sixth.
• Team Gray didn’t go away quietly and used a three-run sixth inning to narrow the Light Blue lead to just one run. With the bases loaded, a wild pitch allowed a run to cross home before a single from Sir Jamison Jones added two more and established a 6-5 score heading into the final frame.
• As it did all day, Team Gray fought back to tie the game at 6-6 in the seventh with a home run by Carter Johnson on the first pitch of the inning.

NOTABLE STATS

• PJ Morlando impressed for Light Blue, going 2-for-3 with two singles and an RBI.
• William Schmidt tossed two innings in relief for the Light Blue squad and struck out five of 11 batters faced.
• Team Gray outfielder Daniel Curiel went 3-for-4 with three base hits and a run scored. His teammate Tyson Lewis went 2-for-3 with a run and two singles.
• Mason Russell and Bradley Zayac both pitched two innings for Team Gray and struck out three batters each.

TEAM RED COMES BACK TO DEFEAT TEAM NAVY 4-2 BEHIND MULLINAX’S PROFOUND PLATE PERFORMANCE

Box Score | PxP

Michael Mullinax went 2-for-2 and scored the game-winning run to lead Team Red to a 4-2 victory over Team Navy in the second game of the 2023 Prospect Development Pipeline (PDP) League at the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary, North Carolina.

With the win, Team Red is 1-0 in the PDP League after day one. Team Navy falls to 0-1.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Team Navy started off strong, striking first in the top of the first inning on an RBI ground out from Trey Snyder.
• The score remained 1-0 until Team Navy increased its lead in the top of the fifth when Bryce Clavon grounded out to drive in a second run.
• Team Red managed to tie it up in the bottom of the fifth when a two-RBI single by Braylon Payne brought in Conrad Cason and Daniel Arambula, who both reached base on singles.
• Michael Mullinax allowed Team Red to pull ahead in the sixth inning, reaching third on a line drive to left center and proceeding to score on a wild pitch.
• Team Red kept rolling in the bottom of the seventh to boost its lead to 4-2 when Kolt Myers reached first on a throwing error by Team Navy and scored on Maximo Martinez’s single to right field.

NOTABLE STATS

• Michael Mullinax led Team Red’s offense, going 2-for-2 with a single and triple.
• Conrad Cason was also stout at the plate, finishing 2-for-3 with two singles and a run.
• Trey Snyder led Team Navy at the plate, going 1-for-3 with an RBI.
• Team Red relief pitcher Levi Sterling (1-0) pitched two innings of no-hit baseball to pick up the victory, striking out three batters.

Talan Bell (0-1) suffered the loss for Team Navy after giving up three earned runs in 2.2 innings pitched.

UP NEXT

Team Red will face Team Light Blue at 11:00 a.m. at the National Training Complex on Wednesday, June 28, in the third game of the PDP League. Following that game, Team Navy will play Team Gray at 2:00 p.m. at the National Training Complex. Both games will be streamed on USABaseball.TV and MLB.com.