Team USA Wins Rain-Shortened Game Two

Jacobs fires seven strikeouts in pitchers' duel

BOX SCORE | PLAY BY PLAY | CUMULATIVE STATS

CARY, N.C. - Team USA and Chinese Taipei were locked in a pitchers’ duel for the first few innings before Team USA broke through in the top of the fourth, and took a 3-2, rain-shortened victory on Sunday, June 30 at the National Training Complex.

AS IT HAPPENED

  • After three scoreless frames to start the game, Team USA (2-0) made its way onto the board first with three runs on a pair of hits in the top of the fourth. Marek Houston (Wake Forest) drove in the first run of the game on a single up the middle, and Max Belyeu (Texas) followed with a two-RBI single to center field to put Team USA ahead, 3-0.
  • Chinese Taipei (0-2) played small ball to immediately respond in the bottom of the fourth inning with a run of its own. Chiu Chun led off the frame with a single, and was moved to third base after a bunt single and a sacrifice bunt. Huang Bo-Rui put his team into the run column with a sacrifice fly to deep left-center to move the score to 3-1, with Team USA in front after four.
  • Chun nearly tied the game for Chinese Taipei in the bottom of the fifth inning on an RBI single to left field, but the tying run was tagged out at the plate after a great relay from Nolan Schubart (Oklahoma State), to Dean Curley (Tennessee), to Caden Bodine (Coastal Carolina) to end the frame with Team USA leading, 3-2.
  • The game was interrupted due to lightning before the top of the sixth inning, and was eventually called, due to weather.

NOTABLE STATS

  • Ben Jacobs (Arizona State) spun seven strikeouts through 4.1 innings to take the win in the shortened game.
  • Schubart reached base with a single and a walk, and has now reached base seven times in eight plate appearances during the series.
  • Chiu was the lone batter to have a multi-hit game, as he picked up two singles.
  • Bodine and Houston caught a runner stealing in the bottom of the second, and that was the second caught stealing for Team USA during the series.

ON DECK

Team USA will play one more game on Monday, July 1 at Coleman Field at the National Training Complex in Cary, N.C. at 6:35 p.m., before heading to Greensboro, N.C. to continue the 21st USA vs. Chinese Taipei International Friendship Series sanctioned by the World Baseball Softball Confederation.