PANAMA CITY – Gavin Fien drove in three runs while Josh Hammond and Dylan Wood kept Puerto Rico’s offense in check as Team USA picked up a 7-3 victory on Sunday afternoon in World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) U-18 Baseball World Cup Americas Qualifier group play.
With the win, the U.S. improves to 2-0 in Group B play.
Puerto Rico (1-2) struck first on Sunday, scratching two runs across in the top of the first on a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch and an RBI ground out. But the U.S. responded immediately in the bottom of the frame to tie it before breaking it open with a four-run second inning to put the game out of reach. After Eli Willits drew a leadoff walk in the first, Kayson Cunningham singled to left to put the tying runs on. That’s when Fien drove in two of his three runs, smoking a ball to left field for a two-run double to knot the score at 2-2.
The U.S. then took the lead and added on in the second, gaining a one-run advantage when Willits was hit by a pitch with the bases full. Cunningham followed with a well-earned walk to plate another run before Fien and Brayden Jaksa delivered run-producing ground outs to extend the lead to four.
Meanwhile, after a rocky first inning, Hammond settled in and ended up tossing four frames while allowing just the two first-inning runs. He worked around baserunners in the second and fourth to finish his day with four innings pitched, yielding four hits and two runs while striking out four. Wood entered in the fifth and permitted a run before facing just one batter over the minimum in the final two frames to earn the save.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Puerto Rico loaded the bases with no outs in the top of the first and ended up scoring two runs on a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch and an RBI ground out by Jatniel McCloud to take a quick 2-0 lead.
- Willits and Cunningham got aboard in the bottom of the opening frame and both came around to score on an RBI double by Fien, tying the game at two in the first.
- A single by Grady Emerson and walks drawn by Brady Murrietta and Slater de Brun filled the bases for the U.S. in the second, and Willits was hit in the foot by a pitch to put the stars and stripes in front by a run.
- Following an eight-pitch at-bat that resulted in a bases-loaded walk by Cunningham, Fien and Jaksa both brought runs home with RBI ground outs as Team USA’s lead became 6-2 in the second.
- Puerto Rico put runners on the corners with no outs in the fourth in an attempt to trim its deficit. But Ethan Holliday fielded a grounder and threw a runner out at home, Murrietta picked a runner off first, and Hammond picked up a huge strikeout to preserve the four-run U.S. edge.
- Willits singled to begin the bottom of the fourth and eventually came around to score on an error as Team USA took a 7-2 lead.
- Puerto Rico chipped into the U.S. advantage in the top of the fifth, scoring on a balk with two outs in the inning to make it a 7-3 game in favor of Team USA.
- With two innings in the books, Wood returned to the mound in the top of the seventh and retired the side in order on just six pitches to earn the save and put the finishing touches on the United States’ 7-3 win.
NOTABLES
- Cunningham and Jaksa each drove in a run in the win, adding to their tournament-leading RBI total of five each.
- Willits scored three times in Sunday’s victory and now leads the team and is tied for the tournament lead with four runs scored.
- With a triple on Saturday and his two-run double on Sunday, two of Fien’s three hits in tournament play have gone for extra bases. He sits second in the tournament with a 1.000 slugging percentage.
- Team USA now owns a team ERA of 1.75 through its first two games of the World Cup Qualifier.
- With the win, the United States is now 6-1 all-time against Puerto Rico at the U-18 level, including a perfect 5-0 mark at the World Cup Qualifier.
QUOTABLES
“It was a great win today,” said Fien. “We fought hard against a very rowdy and talented Puerto Rico team. I had the situation to do something big early in the game and put a good swing on it to allow my team to score some runs and bounce back from the top of the first. It was a great team win.”
ON DECK
The U.S. looks to improve to 3-0 in Group B play on Monday, taking on Venezuela at 2:30 p.m. local/3:30 p.m. ET. The contest will be held at Estadio Nacional Rod Carew in Panama City, Panama.
