CARY, N.C. – A seven-run first inning fueled USA Prime National’s (5-1) decisive 12-5 victory over ZT Prospects National (4-2) to earn third place and a bronze medal at the 13U National Team Championships in North Carolina.

USA Prime gained the lead in the first inning and never looked back as the team maintained a five-run lead or more throughout the contest. Seven walks and two hits combined for seven runs as ZT Prospects burned through three pitchers alone in the first frame. 

ZT Prospects earned one run back in its half of the first after a two-out double by Zachary Estrada scored Angel Gonzalez. Scoring plateaued but USA Prime continued to widen its lead after Griffin Tillery, James Stout, and Colin Raymond put balls in play to plate three more runs and make it 10-1. A portion of those runs were offset after two errors allowed ZT Prospects to score twice and make it 10-3 after three innings of play.

ZT Prospects continued to chop away at the deficit as Anthony Huaranga and Adriel Rivera each tallied RBIs to make it a five-run difference. A bases-loaded walk and a wild pitch in the home half of the sixth separated USA Prime by a wide margin once again. ZT Prospects threatened in its half of the sixth with the bases loaded but could only manage to plate one before being put out on an unassisted play by the third baseman, Brandon Forrest, for the third and final out of regulation.

Tillery led the team in hits as he collected a pair of singles while driving in two and scoring once for USA Prime. Stout and Jaaron Frye each gathered two runs batted in while Colin McGowan, Jake Welch, and Raymond each recorded an RBI in addition to two runs scored.

Gonzalez and Rivera each went 2-for-3 for ZT Prospects with Gonzalez scoring twice and Rivera plating a run. Estrada gathered two RBIs in his 1-for-3 performance.

USA Prime National concludes the tournament with a record of 5-1 while ZT Prospects finishes the National Team Championships with a 4-2 record.