CARY, N.C. - Trailing 5-6 in the top of the fifth inning, Southwest pieced together a six-run stanza en route to a 11-6 victory over New England in the USA Baseball 15U National Team Identification Series (NTIS) gold medal game on Coleman Field at the USA Baseball National Training Complex.
This is the second championship the Southwest region has won in 2017 after it defeated Southern California, 8-7, in the 13U NTIS gold medal game last Sunday.
Staring down a one run deficit late in the game, Southwest's patience paid dividends as five consecutive walks to start the inning put them in front for good, 7-6. Santino Panaro followed with a two-RBI single and Chase Gallegos launched a two-run double to extend their lead to 11-6.
It was a back and forth affair between the two teams, including six lead changes in the first five innings. New England took the early lead on a Michael Grazer RBI-single to left field in the first inning, scoring Zach Fletcher. They added two more runs in the second, one more run in the third on a Kyle McKrea triple, and two more runs in the fourth.
But Southwest responded with three runs in the third inning and the penultimate six-run inning in the fifth.
Jacob Gutierrez and Panaro led Southwest offensively with 2-for-3 days at the plate. Cade McGee finished 1-for-3 with three RBIs. Dennis Stiles (3-for-4), James Mahoney (3-for-4), Patrick Roche (2-for-3) and McRea (2-for-2) paced New England, combining for 10 hits on the day.
McGee picked up with win on the mound for Southwest after pitching 3.1 innings of relief. Caleb Freeman was tagged with the loss for New England, giving up four earned runs in three innings of work.
2017 15U NTIS Standings:
1. Southwest
2. New England
3. Northern California