CARY, N.C. – The Stripes capped a strong week at the 2021 15U National Team Trials, topping the Stars, 16-6, in the final game of the series at the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary, North Carolina. 

Scoring in all but two innings, the Stripes tallied 13 hits to take down the Stars and earn their fourth win of the series. Henry Allen (Auburn, Ala.), Ethan Puig (Miami, Fla.), and Josh Springer (Corona, Calif.) combined for nine of the team’s 12 RBIs in the win.

Braeden Weckman (Winter Springs, Fla.) went 3-for-3 at the plate to lead the Stripes, adding an RBI and scoring twice. Allen, Carson Page (Hahira, Ga.), and Springer contributed multi-hit games for the Stripes.

Everett Johnson (Youngsville, N.C.) had the only multi-hit game for the Stars, also driving in a run. Gavin Fien (Temecula, Calif.) and Kailand Halstead (Puyallup, Wash.) added RBIs for the Stars.

With two innings of scoreless relief, Austin Nye (Roseville, Calif) earned the win for the Stripes. John Lash (Charlotte, N.C.) suffered the loss for the Stars.

Following the conclusion of 15U Trials, the 2021 15U National Team will be announced later this evening at 6:00 p.m. ET. Stay tuned to USABaseball.com and @USABaseball15U for more information.

Key Moments

• After Michael Torres (Miami, Fla.) reached on an error to open the game, Allen drove him in with an RBI-single to right-center field and then scored on a wild pitch to put the Stripes in front, 2-0.
• The Stripes loaded the bases in the second on a single by Weckman and walks to Torres and Page. Allen walked to drive in one run before Puig's two-run single to right field made it 5-0, Stripes.
• Nolan Traeger (Spring, Texas) singled and Johnson drove him in with a base hit to left field to trim the Stars’ deficit to 5-1 in the second inning.
• With Jase DeSantis (Las Vegas, Nev.) on third with two outs in the top of the third, Weckman singled off the pitcher’s glove to bring in a run and extend the Stripes’ lead to five.
• Konnor Griffin (Florence, Miss.) doubled to left field to lead off the bottom of the third for the Stars and later scored on Halstead’s RBI-groundout to make it 6-2, Stripes.
• Page doubled to lead off the Stripes’ half of the fifth inning and scored on Allen’s base-hit up the middle before Puig added an RBI-groundout to increase the lead to 8-2.
• In the top of the sixth, Josh Springer (Corona, Calif.) drove in Weckman with an RBI-single and eventually scored on a wild pitch as the Stripes took a 10-2 advantage.
• After DeSantis scored on a bases-loaded walk for the Stripes in the seventh, Springer cranked a two-run double to left field to add a couple more runs. Springer and Xavier Neyens (Mount Vernon, Wash.) also scored later in the inning to stretch the Stripes’ lead to 15-2.
• Fien started the scoring in the Stars’ four-run eighth with an RBI infield single, before Cal Miller (Centerville, Utah) drew a bases-loaded walk to plate a run. George Wolkow (Downers Grove, Ill.) and Fien would later score as the Stripes’ lead shrank to 15-6, which would eventually be the final score.

Notable Information

• The Stripes finish the series with a 4-1 record, while the Stars end trials at 1-4.
• With his two hits in the win, Carson Page finishes the series with a .647 (11-for-15) average.
• The Stripes had six different players score two runs in the win.
• All but one of the Stripes’ pitchers struck out at least one batter.
• Johnson and Miller both stole bases for the Stars in the contest.

Social

• Stay tuned to @USABaseball15U on Twitter for the most up-to-date news about the 15U National Team.