GAME ONE - TEAM USA PICKS UP AN EARLY LEAD AND NEVER LOOKS BACK IN AN 8-2 VICTORY OVER ELITE SQUAD

MIAMI, Fla. – Multi-hit performances from Grady Emerson (Argyle, Texas) and Blake Bowen (Riverside, Calif.) got Team USA off to a running start and helped power the 15U National Team past Elite Squad, 8-2, in the first matchup Monday evening at Alex Rodriguez Park.

Despite giving up two early runs, the 15U National Team showed off its offensive capabilities and quickly responded in its home half of the first frame as three runs were plated thanks to Brady Harris (Saint Augustine, Fla.) and Jorvorskie Lane Jr. (Fort Worth, Texas), handing the stars and stripes a lead it would never relinquish.

An RBI base knock off the bat of Emerson in the second inning put the U.S. up by a pair while the bats exploded once more for a four-run fourth as a handful of hits tacked on extra insurance for the home team.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Back-to-back walks issued to James Tronstein (Los Angeles, Calif.) and Emerson gave the 15U National Team two early baserunners who promptly scored after Harris ripped a double to left later in the first inning.
• Lane Jr. tacked on a run himself as he won a hard-fought at-bat by driving a 3-2 offering up the middle for an RBI.
• An Emerson single in the second plated one more and gave the team a two-run advantage.
• A busy fourth frame was ignited by Taytum Reeves’ (Menifee, Calif.) base hit followed up by a double steal and a hard-hit shot to right off the bat of Tronstein for a double, making it 6-2. JC Pacheco (Wayne, N.J.) joined in on the action and tallied a pair of RBIs with a base hit to center, giving Team USA an 8-2 lead.

NOTABLE STATS

• Emerson and Bowen each amassed a pair of base hits and runs scored, with Emerson knocking in a run as well.
• Tronstein posted a 1-for-3 performance with an RBI and two runs scored while Reeves also garnered a hit while scoring once.
• Cade Allen (Humboldt, Tenn.) refused to concede a hit as he pitched two shutout innings and punched out three batters.
• Tucker Long (Ottumwa, Iowa), Jack Smejkal (The Woodlands, Texas), and Brody Jindra (Elkhorn, Neb.) each got in a clean inning of work while only giving up three combined hits.

GAME TWO - TEAM USA EXPLODES OFFENSIVELY AND SAILS PAST ELITE SQUAD, 16-4

The 15U National Team picked up right where it left off, as the team combined for 15 total hits, highlighted by homers from both Harris and Tronstein as they led their team to a 16-4 blowout victory in game two of the exhibition doubleheader.

This time, the stars and stripes struck first, as a trio of base hits in addition to an error allowed the 15U National Team to jump to an early 2-0 lead in the second. Elite Squad, however, saw an error in its favor soon after, as the misthrow handed the team a pair of runs with only one being earned.

One more run scored for Team USA in the third and things quickly got out of hand from there, as the red, white, and blue then outscored Elite Squad 10-2 over the next two innings. The scoring did not stop there, as the 15U National Team plated three more runs in the sixth before playing defense for two consecutive frames as the opposing team’s bullpen was depleted.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Reeves and Tronstein teamed up in the second and gave their team an early 2-0 advantage after Reeves legged out an infield single and Tronstein doubled on a line drive to center.
• Drew Davis (Sumrall, Miss.) took advantage of an error earlier in the third and slashed a two-out offering to right for an RBI single.
• Reeves kicked off the key rally in the fourth with a leadoff base hit; Tronstein then proceeded to hammer a 1-0 pitch high and deep over the left field wall for the team’s first blast of the week. A double off the bat of Harris produced another run while an error allowed the seventh run to cross the plate.
• Bowen’s bat stayed hot as he laced a two-out pitch up the middle to give the stars and stripes a seven run advantage and 9-2 lead after four frames.
• Base knocks continued to litter the field in the fifth, while Harris manufactured one more run and a wild pitch tacked on two more. Jindra capped the scoring off with an RBI single to left, making it 13-2.
• Elite Squad strung together three hits in the fifth with two coming around to score after a wild pitch scored one followed by an RBI base hit by Jordan Young.
• Harris kept the offense going with a no doubt homer to dead center to once again give Team USA a double-digit lead. Josiah Morris (Oakley, Calif.) knocked in one more run to solidify a 16-4 final score.

NOTABLE STATS

• Harris did his fair share of damage at the plate, as he went 3-for-5 with four RBIs and three runs scored. Tronstein was also dangerous with the bat, as he gathered a pair of hits and runs scored while driving in three runs.
• Bowen recorded a 2-for-3 outing with a pair of RBIs and two stolen bags while Reeves also stole a base as he accumulated two hits and two runs scored as well.
• Will Adams (Hoover, Ala.), Samir Mohammed (Trinity, Fla.), Andrew Jimenez (Wildomar, Calif.), and Reeves each tossed one scoreless frame.

ON DECK

Team USA travels to the Dominican Republic to play a five-game set of international friendly contests against the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico, Sept. 14-18.

SOCIAL MEDIA

To follow along with all the action with the 15U National Team, be sure to follow @USABaseball15U on Twitter and @USABaseball on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter.