AGUASCALIENTES, Mexico - If there were any questions if Team USA is eager and ready to get to Sunday's gold medal game of the COPABE U-12 Pan American Championship, they were answered Saturday at CECADI Stadium. The U.S. used a nine-run first inning and Brady Strohm (Winchester, Calif.) pitched USA's second consecutive one-hitter (fourth of the tournament) to shutout Nicaragua 15-0 in a game shortened to three innings to close out Super Round play.
In the bottom of the first inning, USA sent 13 batters to the plate, with the first 11 batters reaching base safely. Dean Moss (Hillsborough, Calif.) added to his team-leading RBI totals with a two-run single, and three batters later, Brock Thompson (Bakersfield, Calif.) crushed a grand slam for the team's third slam and Thompson's fourth homer of the tournament. Kameron Davis (Albany, Ga.) and Michael Torres (Miami, Fla.) closed out the scoring in the frame with RBI-singles.
Moss hit a single to lead off the second inning and eventually scored on a wild pitch. The run was USA's lone run of the inning and they took a 10-0 lead into the third inning. Nicaragua was unable to record an out in the third inning, as five batters stepped into the batter's box and three hit home runs for USA. Torres and pinch hitter Gavin Garguilo (Coral Springs, Fla.) led off the third inning with back-to-back home runs, and Paul Dominguez (Anaheim, Calif.) ended the game with a three-run home run to activate the run-rule (15-run lead after three innings).
On the mound, Strohm allowed one hit in his three-inning complete game victory, which improved him to 2-0 in the tournament. Nicaragua's Erick Gomez had their lone hit of the game with a two-out single in the top of the second inning. Jose Cano suffered the loss for Nicaragua. He went 0.1 innings and allowed six runs off five hits.
USA produced 16 hits from a combined 11 different players. Dominguez, one of four U.S. players with at least two hits, led the team with a 3-for-3 performance at the dish. He and Thompson co-led the squad with four runs-batted-in.
USA improved their all-time mark to 4-2 against Nicaragua, with a 2-2 mark in games played in COPABE competition. The U.S. is now 8-0 overall in this season's tournament and they completed the Super Round with a 3-0 mark. Sunday, USA will go for their first ever gold medal in the tournament's history. The U.S. will face Mexico, who clinched their berth to the championship game Saturday with a win over Cuba. First pitch is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. (CT) at CECADI Stadium in Aguascalientes.
Inside the Numbers
117-5 - The U.S. has outscored their opponents 117-5 and they have outhit them 112-16. USA's pitching staff has pitched two no-hitters and four one-hitters in the tournament.
40 - USA has combined for 40 runs in the first inning (have not allowed a run), and they are averaging five runs per game in the first inning.
37 - The U.S. has hit 37 home runs in the tournament through eight games. The total matches their single-tournament high from the 2016 tournament. The 37 home runs in 2016 was at a pace of 4.1 per game (averaging 4.6 per game this tournament).
27 - In 32 innings of at-bats, USA has scored at least 1 run in 27 of the innings.
12 - Twelve different USA players have hit a home run in this season's tournament. Kailand Halstead leads the team with six.
.586 - USA is batting .586 in the tournament. Christian Hamilton leads the team hitting .800 (12-for-15).
.590 - The U.S. is hitting .590 (62/105) with runners on base. They held their opponents to 0-for-22 in the same category through the first five games of the tournament (opponents now 6-for-54, .111). USA is 48-for-75, .640 with runners in scoring position.
