CARY, N.C. - On the second day at the 2024 13U/14U Athlete Development Program, both Team Crews and Team Johnson came out firing on the offensive side of the plate, notching 37 total runs throughout the contest.
Although runs came in abundance due to USA Baseball’s development program scoring, there was no shortage of effective pitching for both squads. The Team Crews foursome of Levi Kerr, Knox Myers, Peyton Tarlton, and Andrés Armenta each tallied two strikeouts in their outings. Team Johnson also featured a strong showing on the mound thanks to Trent O’Malley and his three strikeouts on the day.
Kerr highlighted the day with his late-game appearance at the plate where he played hero by delivering a two-RBI single to walk off Team Johnson. The late-game theatrics pushed Team Crews to 2-0 in the series, while Team Johnson dropped to 0-2.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
Ethan Stewart started the scoring affair for Team Johnson as he slashed an RBI single through the right side to put his side up 1-0 in the first frame.
Team Crews answered with two runs of its own courtesy of back-to-back RBI singles from Armenta and Colin Anderson, putting their team up 2-1**.**
Cruz Adams tied the game at two runs each in the second inning with his sacrifice fly to left field.
Damian Rivas provided Team Crews the lead with an RBI double to left field. Two at-bats later, a bases-loaded walk lifted Crews to a two-run lead.
Team Johnson went on a four-run rally in the third inning, which was capped off by a Peyton Lopez two-RBI single to center field.
Team Crews responded in the bottom frame by scoring three runs and giving itself a three-run lead. Rivas gave his squad the advantage after slapping an RBI single through the left side to the go-ahead run.
Both teams battled back-and-forth, pushing the game into the eighth inning with Team Crews facing a three-run deficit going into the final half inning of the contest. In a bases-loaded situation, Kerr played hero and secured Team Crews’ second win at ADP by delivering a two-RBI single through the left side.
NOTABLE STATS:
- O’Malley tallied a game-high three strikeouts in two innings of work on the mound for Team Johnson.
- Dylan Mercado (Team Crews) and Jordan Leon (Team Johnson) both crossed the dish twice which was good for the best mark amongst all players.
- The trio of Armenta, Anderson, and Rivas provided plenty of fireworks at the plate for Team Crews as they each notched two RBIs to give their squad the edge.
- Peyton Lopez, of Team Johnson, matched the Team Crews trio with two RBIs of his own which led Team Johnson.
- Armenta was the only pitcher in the contest to not allow a run as he pitched an inning of no-hit baseball for Team Crews.
- Kerr concluded the contest with a massive two-RBI walk-off to secure the win for Team Crews. The two RBIs allowed him to finish the game with three RBIs, which led all batters.
ABOUT ADP SCORING
USA Baseball utilizes a modified scoring system for its development programs to achieve load management and mitigate potential injuries due to overuse for its youth athletes. Pitchers are subject to a maximum pitch count of 25 per inning during game play. In the event an inning is rolled because a pitcher has reached their maximum pitch count, runners on base may be contributed to the game score. As a result of this system, the final game score may not match the overall statistics.
ON DECK
Team Crews and Team Johnson will face off again Saturday at 9:00 a.m. on Coleman Field at the National Training Complex to wrap up the three game series. Team Crews will aim to secure a series sweep while Team Johnson seeks to end the series off on a high note with a win at 2024 13U/14U Athlete Development Program.
