FLOWER MOUND, Texas – Team USA rode an impressive offensive performance and dominant pitching to a 14-3 win over ZT Elite on Saturday night at Bakersfield Park in Flower Mound, Texas.

The stars and stripes got started immediately on offense when Aaron Garcia (Pico Rivera, Calif.) crushed a leadoff homer to straightaway center field in the first to give Team USA an early lead. Hudson Brown (Iola, Texas) added an RBI double later in the first before hitting a two-run double in a seven-run fourth inning as the red, white, and blue built a commanding lead.

Four players had multi-hit games for Team USA in the win. Brown, Garcia, Jared Grindlinger (Huntington Beach, Calif.), and Julian Martinez (New York, N.Y.) all picked up two hits and combined for eight RBIs for the stars and stripes. Garcia and Martinez added homers in the victory.

Jackson Maddix (Pittsburgh, Pa.) got the start for Team USA, pitching 2.1 innings and allowing three runs. Jackson Fetters (Montgomery, Texas) entered in relief and earned the win, allowing just two hits in 4.2 scoreless innings. ZT Elite’s Luke Esquivel surrendered the loss, allowing eight runs in 2.0 innings pitched.

Key Moments

• After ZT Elite led off the game with an infield single, Martinez started an around-the-horn double play to keep the visitors off the board.
• Garcia launched a leadoff home run to straightaway center field to give Team USA a quick lead. Later in the inning, Brown plated Brady Bickham (Claremont, Calif.) with a single to left field to give the stars and stripes a 2-0 lead.
• ZT Elite tied the game in the second on a two-run home run by Lennex Minor, but Derek Vazquez (Charlotte, N.C.) scored on a wild pitch in the bottom of the inning to give Team USA a 3-2 lead.
• After reaching on an infield single, Caleb Hudson (Carrolton, Ga.) was plated on an RBI single by Grindlinger later in the second. Two batters later, Bickham roped an RBI single to left field to score two runs and extend the lead to 6-2.
• Levi Leathers hit a solo home run for ZT Elite in the top of the third to trim the visitors’ deficit to three.
• Team USA responded with a seven-run inning to take a commanding lead. The first two runs of the rally came on a two-run double by Jake Welch (Lehi, Utah), a fly ball down the right field line that scored Vazquez and Julian Rodriguez (Boca Raton, Fla.).
• After Garcia drove in a run on a fielder’s choice, Martinez singled to left field to plate a run and keep the rally going. Two batters later, Brown doubled to left-center field to score two more runs before an RBI groundout gave Team USA a 13-3 edge.
• The red, white, and blue scored again in the bottom of the fifth thanks to a no-doubter over the wall in left field by Martinez to lead off the frame.
• Fetters closed the door on the victory for Team USA, finishing off an impressive relief performance with two strikeouts in the seventh.

Notable Information

• With the win, Team USA starts its three-game slate with a 1-0 record.
• Fetters struck out six batters in relief, allowing just four baserunners to reach in 4.2 innings.
• Five players on Team USA scored two runs in the win. Bickham, Gonzalez, Grindlinger, Martinez, and Vazquez all touched home twice in the game.
• The stars and stripes stole four bases in the win, with Bickham, Hudson, Martinez, and Welch all swiping bags.
• Bickham drew a game-high two walks on the night.

On Deck

• November 14: Team USA vs. Premier National (4:00 pm CT/5:00 pm ET)
• November 15: Team USA vs. Texas Scrappers (11:00 am CT/12:00 p.m. ET)

Social

• Stay tuned to @USABaseball12U on Twitter for the most up-to-date news about the 12U National Team.