AUBURN, Ala. – The 15U National Team tossed its third consecutive shutout and downed Australia by a score of 4-0 on Tuesday at Auburn University. Team USA improves to 3-0, has allowed only three hits over three games and has yet to concede a run in the International Friendship Series.
Team USA’s pitching staff earned the spotlight for the third straight game, as the stars and stripes boasted its depth of arms as evident by Camden Boehm’s stellar start on the bump. After conceding a two-out hit in the top of the first, Boehm refused to yield a base knock the rest of his outing and dipped into double-digit strikeouts. The tall frame of Team USA’s starter hurled 5.0 shutout innings of one-hit ball, struck out 10 batters and did not allow a walk. Luke Esquivel, a southpaw from Grapevine, Texas, made his series debut and faced the minimum en route to throwing 2.0 hitless innings.
The red, white, and blue stayed hot and supplemented its pitching with an effective offense at Hitchcock Field at Plainsman Park. Quick innings and hard-throwing arms tells the tale of Tuesday’s win, as only one hit was conceded in the 15U National Team’s victory. Heads-up baserunning and timely base knocks by Dexter McCleon Jr. and Jacob Seamon were critical in securing Team USA’s third win. McCleon Jr. notched an RBI and posted a 1-for-2 performance at the plate while Seamon went 1-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored. Jordan Kurz got the start at short and was a brick wall for the U.S., he collected an extra-base hit in his first start of the week.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Parker Leoff got the action going from the get-go, as he sent an 0-1 offering that hugged the left field line for a stand-up double to put pressure on Australia early.
- After Rocco Maniscalco punched a single to right and moved Leoff up a base, a defensive miscue permitted Leoff to come around and score Team USA’s first run.
- Boehm got to work early, striking out the side in the second and giving the U.S. an opportunity to do more damage.
- More damage was dealt in the second, as back-to-back doubles by Kurz and Seamon made it a 2-0 advantage for the U.S.
- Seamon scored Team USA’s third run later that inning after an errant throw allowed the North Carolina native to touch home.
- After Boehm notched his third straight 1-2-3 inning in the fifth, the U.S. went back to offense. McCleon Jr. gave Team USA’s fans something to cheer for as he torched a ball deep to left center to plate Jared Grindlinger, who reached on a four pitch walk earlier in the inning.
NOTABLES
- This is the first time in 15U National Team history that Team USA has thrown three straight shutouts.
- The 15U National Team has now won 12 straight games against international competition, a streak dating back to 2022.
- Boehm joins an exclusive list and is only the second 15U National Team pitcher to record double-digit punchouts. Solomon Bates tallied 13 strikeouts in a 14-1 win over the Dominican Republic in 2012.
- Boehm needed only 62 pitches to get through 5.0 innings. Of those 62 pitches, only 14 of those were called as a ball, giving him a 77.4% strike percentage in addition to an 88.2% first pitch strike percentage.
- Zero walks were allowed by the U.S. pitching staff in back-to-back days.
- Maniscalco, McCleon Jr., and Seamon are currently riding three game hit streaks.
ON DECK
Team USA returns to Georgia and will play Australia tomorrow, September 11, at Georgia Gwinnett College. First pitch is slated for 7:30 p.m. ET; fans can follow live stats on GameChanger and the games will also be live streamed to the USA Baseball YouTube channel.
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.
