CARY, N.C. - The second day of the 2024 National Team Identification Series (NTIS) Champions Cup featured plenty of action at both the USA Baseball National Training Complex and Thomas Brooks Park, with multiple 12U games decided by one run in a series of thrilling matchups while several 14U games featured offensive outbursts headlined by inside-the-park home runs.
MIDWEST STARS SHINE IN 23-1 WIN OVER NORTHWEST STRIPES
The Midwest Stars got off to a hot start as they put up three runs in the top of the first inning to go up 3-0 on the Northwest Stripes. The inning was capped off by Johnny Fuduric and his single through the left side to push Joshua Matthews across the plate. Miles Lockridge kept the scoring going with an inside-the-park home run to score two runs and put the Midwest Stars up 5-0. The Midwest Stars continued its dominance as it put up massive third and fourth innings, which were highlighted by huge RBIs from Hank Bates and Dillon Dresel to take the score to 10-0. After that, it was all Midwest Stars offense as they put up 13 runs in the final two innings of play to rout the Northwest Stripes 23-1.
SOUTHWEST STRIPES EDGE OUT NORTHEAST STARS IN TIGHT 12-11 BATTLE
Chase Purcell put the opening two runs across the plate for the Northeast Stars with a double. The Southwest Stars evened the scoring in the second inning, and eventually took the lead thanks to Kalin Miedema and his RBI single up the middle where he later crossed the plate to make the score 4-2. The Southwest Stars continued its scoring attack after two RBIs and a balk made the score 7-2, but the Northeast Stars responded with two runs of its own to cut the deficit to three runs at 8-5. The Southwest Stripes nabbed three runs in the next two innings to give itself a 11-5 advantage. The game came down to the wire when Kason Mann, of the Northeast Stars, pulled his team within one run, 12-11, after he crushed an RBI single up the middle. Despite the comeback, the lead proved too much to overcome, which allowed the Southwest Stripes to walk away with a 12-11 win.
LATE RALLY AIDS SOUTHWEST STARS TO 6-3 VICTORY OVER SOUTH STRIPES
Landon Hennies for Southwest Stars smacked a two-RBI single to left field to put his team up 2-0 in the second frame. The Southwest Stars tacked on another run to go up 3-0, but its lead did not last long as the South Stripes came back firing in the third inning to knot the game at three runs each. An infield single in the fifth gave Southwest Stars a 4-3 lead and then they soon added another run to increase the score to 5-3. The Southwest Stars gave itself more cushion with another run in the fifth to garner a 6-3 lead, which was good enough to clinch the win.
MIDWEST STRIPES SNEAK BY SOUTHEAST STRIPES IN 7-6 VICTORY
After getting hit by a pitch in the top of the second inning, Austin Anschuetz advanced to third after a single and a stolen base. An error on the third baseman allowed Anschuetz to cross home and give the Southeast Stripes a lead. Brenner Brown increased the lead after he slashed an RBI single. The Midwest Stripes fired back with a four-RBI inning to gain the lead. In the bottom of the fourth inning, Wyatt Gutzman grabbed an RBI to tack on another run for the Midwest. After shutting down the Southeast Stripes in the next inning, the Midwest Stripes put another on the board in the bottom of the fifth frame after Jase Whorton scored on a wild pitch to cut the deficit to one. The Southeast Stripes scored three runs in an attempt at a comeback, but fell just short to give the Midwest Stripes the 7-6 edge.
SOUTHEAST STARS’ OFFENSE DETONATES FOR 11 RUNS IN THE FIRST INNING
After initially falling behind 2-0 in the top of the first inning, the Southeast Stars’ offense erupted for 11 runs in the bottom of the frame and never looked back in a 16-8 win. A two-RBI triple from Brooks Bateman and an inside-the-park grand slam from Riley D’Angelo led the way in the first-inning outburst.
LATE HITS ALLOW MIDWEST STARS TO SURVIVE LATE RALLY BY NORTHEAST STARS
Led by a two-RBI single from Hall in the bottom of the first, the Midwest Stars battled to a 5-3 win over the Northeast Stars on Friday morning. With the score close at 4-3 in the fifth inning, Andrew Potthoff put the Midwest Stars two runs ahead with a game-sealing RBI single in the bottom of the frame.
WHITE’S INSIDE-THE-PARK HOME RUN POWERS SOUTHWEST STARS IN WIN
Ayden White mashed an inside-the-park home run deep into the outfield in the fourth inning to score a trio of runs and spark a nine-run day for the Southwest Stars, who emerged victorious over the Northwest Stripes by a final score of 9-2.
VICTORIO, NORTHWEST STARS WITHSTAND COMEBACK IN WALK-OFF WIN
Nateo Victorio pitched four shutout innings and clubbed an RBI double in the Northwest Stars’ nail-biting 6-5 win over the Southeast Stripes. Initially jumping out to a 5-0 lead, the Northwest Stars were nearly stunned by a five-run comeback from the Southeast Stripes in the final two innings that tied the game. With the score knotted at 5-5 with two outs, Liam Ferguson raked a ball to first that would be fumbled, allowing the winning run to race home from second.
SOUTHWEST STRIPES UNLOAD ON SOUTH STRIPES IN MASSIVE WIN
Powered by doubles from Richie Cruz, Amare Watkins, and and Rhett Lopez during an eight-run second inning, the Southwest Stripes plated a whopping 24 runs in a 24-1 victory over the South Stripes to cap off the second day of action.
