FLOWER MOUND, Texas – Easton Brunson (Highlands, Texas) hit three home runs as Team USA powered past Premier National, 22-0, on Sunday afternoon at Bakersfield Park in Flower Mound, Texas.

Brunson’s first blast came in the top of the first inning. After Team USA took a 2-0 lead on an RBI groundout and a wild pitch, Brunson deposited a two-run homer into the parking lot in right field to give the stars and stripes a 4-0 lead. He homered again in the third, sending another shot to right field in a 10-run frame for Team USA. The final homer came in the top of the sixth, a three-run shot to left field.

Brodie Campbell (Newnan, Ga.), Aaron Garcia (Pico Rivera, Calif.), Jared Grindlinger (Huntington Beach, Calif.), and Julian Martinez (New York, N.Y.) all added homers for the red, white, and blue. It was the second homer in two days for Garcia and Martinez, who both homered in Saturday’s win over ZT Elite.

Kekahupono Kong (Mililani, Hawaii) got the start on the mound for Team USA, allowing just three hits in three scoreless frames. Chase Cotton (Lincoln, Calif.) earned the win out of the bullpen, striking out five in two innings of work. Parker Legh-Page suffered the loss for Premier National.

Easton Brunson got ALL of this baseball 💪🏻#ForGlory🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/dMHeIzBlLZ

— USA Baseball 12U (@USABaseball12U) November 14, 2021

Key Moments

• Hudson Brown (Iola, Texas) got the scoring started with an RBI groundout and Martinez scored on a wild pitch to give the stars and stripes a 2-0 lead.
• With two outs and Brady Bickham (Claremont, Calif) on second base, Brunson hit a mammoth homer over the scoreboard in right field to extend Team USA’s lead to 4-0.
• After Garcia singled in the second, Grindlinger hit an opposite-field homer to left field as the red, white, and blue gained a 6-0 edge.
• In the third, Jake Welch (Lehi, Utah) was hit by a pitch to drive in a run before Angel Gonzalez (Whittier, Calif.) roped a two-run single to grow the Team USA lead to 9-0.
• Garcia kept the rally going with a three-run homer to straightaway center field for the second straight game. Grindlinger followed with a single before Martinez cranked a homer over the left field fence to give Team USA a 14-0 lead.
• Brunson delivered his second round-tripper of the night with Bickham on second to grow the stars and stripes’ lead to 16-0 in the third.
• The red, white, and blue made it 18-0 in the fourth, when Julian Rodriguez (Boca Raton, Fla.) drove in a run on a fielder’s choice and Caleb Hudson (Carrolton, Ga.) hit an RBI single.
• Brunson’s third home run was a high-arching, three-run blast to left field, which extended the Team USA lead to 21-0.
• Campbell went the other way for a solo shot in the seventh to grow the lead to 22-0 in favor of the stars and stripes.

Notable Information

• With the win, Team USA is now 2-0 through the first two games of its three-game slate.
• Brunson drove in a game-high seven runs in the victory.
• Seven players had multi-hit games for the stars and stripes, with Brunson and Grindlinger leading the way with three apiece.
• Brunson, Grindlinger, and Bickham combined to score 10 of Team USA’s 22 runs. Garcia, Gonzalez, and Martinez also scored multiple runs in the win.
• The red, white, and blue did not make an error in the game, and have only made one through their first two games.

On Deck

• 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.