PHOENIX — Dylan Kraatz tripled, homered and drove in five runs to help Team Dinger 2022 conclude the 17U National Team Championships with a thrilling 10-9 win against Force National and earn Player of the Day honors for June 28.

Kraatz, whose team trailed 9-4 entering the bottom of the eighth inning, delivered a game-tying, three-run triple with one out in the frame and came across to score the winning run via a wild pitch.

The triple marked the second consecutive heroic moment for Kraatz after the 5-foot-7 outfielder produced a game-tying, two-run homer in his previous at-bat in the sixth inning.

Kraatz reached base in all four plate appearances in the dramatic win and also stole his first base of the tournament.

Kraatz and Team Dinger 2022 concluded the 17U National Team Championships with a 3-3 record, which included three straight victories to close out the event. Kraatz compiled a standout .500/.583/1.000 slash line throughout the tournament.

Payton Gubler struck out 12 batters across six innings to propel Team Utah 2022 into the semifinals of the 17U National Team Championships and capture the Pitcher of the Day honor for June 28.

Gubler, who also collected a pair of hits and two RBI to back his own effort on the mound, delivered a dominant outing for Team Utah 2022, who later advanced to the gold-medal game with a 12-3 victory against GBG Navy 2022 in the semifinals.

Gubler, a 5-foot-10 right-hander, struck out at least two batters in five of his six innings of work. It marked the second impressive outing at the tournament for the BYU commit after he tossed three scoreless innings in a 3-0 win against Baseball Factory on Thursday.

Gubler and Team Utah 2022 (7-1) are set to square off against undefeated CBA Marucci National (8-0) in the gold-medal game at 9 a.m. MT on Monday at Peoria Sports Complex.

 

Honorable mentions (Player of the Day):

Preston Allen (OC Ducks Elite) — 2-for-3, HR, 4 RBI

Brandon Nguyen (Jack 9 Baseball) — 3-for-3, 2B, 3B, 4 RBI

Matthew Leiterman (Outlaws BBA) — 3-for-4, 2B, 3B, 3 RBI, R

Brady Reynolds (CBA Marucci National) — 3-for-3, 2B, 3B, 2 RBI, 3 R, SB

Honorable mentions (Pitcher of the Day):

Daniel Avitia (Aggies National 17U) — 5.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 11 K, 0 BB

Jake Keffer (Quakes Baseball) — 5.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 4 K, 2 BB

Christopher Gaudio (CBA Wave) — W, 4.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 8 K, 0 BB

Mario Bejarano (CBA Marucci National) — W, 6.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 5 K, 1 BB

Stay tuned to @USABChamps_AZ on Twitter for the most up-to-date news about the National Team Championships Arizona.