CASTAIC, Calif. - The USA Baseball 12U National Team scored 13 runs in the fifth inning and used six different pitchers to blank the Total Baseball Bears, 17-0, in the final exhibition game of National Team Training on Monday morning at VTV Baseball Complex.
Starting shortstop Kai Caranto (Santa Clarita, Calif.) crushed a leadoff home run on the first pitch of the first inning to get the U.S. offense going early.
Benjamin Reiland (Irvine, Calif.) kept Team USA rolling with a single to start the third inning and Josh Atomanczyk (Franklin, Texas) continued his hot-hitting at the plate by crushing a two-run home run to give the United States the 3-0 lead.
The U.S. squad blew the game wide open in the fifth by plating 13 runs in the frame.
Atomanczyk and Raffaele Velazquez (Long Beach, Calif.) started off the inning with back-to-back singles. Atomanczyk scored after a balk and wild pitch and Velaquez scored on a throwing error by the Bears. After a Hank Benny (Austin, Texas) walk, Brandon Olivera (Hialeah, Fla.) ripped an RBI-double down the left field line, making it 6-0 Team USA.
The fifth inning was far from over, as an Owen Egan (Yucaipa, Calif.) single and two-base throwing error allowed two more U.S. runs to score. Later in the inning, Trent Abel (San Diego, Calif.) roped a double to right center, putting runners on second and third, when Atomanczyk came through again with his second long ball of the game to center field, extending the Team USA lead to 11-0.
The U.S. squad continued to add to the scoreboard in the fifth when Velazquez doubled to deep left field, Benny walked, and Olivera was hit by pitch to load the bases for Daniel Arambula (Redlands, Calif.), who smashed a grand slam to center field. On the next play, Egan slapped a home run of his own to center field, giving the United States the 16-0 lead.
Team USA added a run in the sixth after Errick Barnes Jr. (San Diego, Calif.) doubled to start the inning and an Ashton Larson (Overland Park, Kan.) walk and a CJ Rice (Pleasanton, Calif.) single loaded the bases. Later in the frame, Benny used a sacrifice fly to left field to score Barnes Jr.
The two teams played an exhibition inning under international tie-breaker rules in the seventh. The Bears scored a run on an RBI-single, but Team USA answered with a run in the bottom half as a fielder's choice scored Caranto from third after he walked to start the inning.
Atomancyzk finished the game 3-for-3 with two home runs, three runs and five RBI to lead the U.S. offense. Five different Team USA players had multi-hit games.
The United States used a different pitcher in each inning to throw a combined shutout, as Arambula earned the win as the starting pitcher. Rice, Larson, Bryce Rainer (Simi Valley, Calif.), Gregory Pierantoni (Valencia, Calif.), and Reiland were all dominant, only allowing two hits in relief.
With the completion of exhibition play, the 12U team will travel to Tainan, Taiwan to compete in the 2017 World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) U-12 Baseball World Cup. Team USA will take on Australia in the first game of pool play on Friday, July 28 at 2:00 a.m. (ET).
Fans can follow the games live at USABaseball.com or follow on Twitter.