DURHAM, N.C. - As the 2017 15U National Team Trials moved into the second day of competition on Monday, both games featured close, grind-em-out efforts from all seventy-two players at the USA Baseball National Training Complex.
United defeated the Eagles, 8-6, in the first game of the day, before the Brave downed the Pride, 5-3, in the nightcap.
Game One: United 8, Eagles 6
The opening game saw the first two pitchers from both sides have impressive three-inning outings, setting the tone for the day.
Jonathan Cymrot fanned a tied-day-high five batters for United, only allowing three hits and one unearned run, while Masyn Winn punched out four allowing two unearned runs and a hit to start things off.
Both teams were able to put runs on the board in the third, thanks in part to the international tiebreaking procedure. Where United made its mark was in the fifth inning when a leadoff double by Jacob Gonzalez down the left field line allowed him to score when Brady House reached on a fielder's choice.
The red-hot inning continued when Kyle Teel tripled to right center to score House and give them a 5-1 lead.
The Eagles wouldn't be able to climb all the way back, but would score three in the bottom of the sixth. After Tyler Collins and Jayden Melendez were placed on first and second, respectively, Winn laid down a sacrifice bunt to move everyone forward before Gonzalez hit the sacrifice fly. With two outs, Giuseppe Farraro reached on a throwing error that also allowed Collins to score.
Also having a fine outing on the mound, Joshua Hartle struck out four in his closing 3.0 innings for United, allowing one earned run and three hits.
The Eagles' Thomas Splaine led the game offensively with a 2-for-2 effort and two RBI.
Game Two: Brave 5, Pride 3
The second game of the day featured fine pitching duels as well as the Pride combined for seven strikeouts while the Brave mowed down 10.
On the Pride side, Alex Edmondson set the pace, going his three innings, striking out three batters and allowing just a hit and an unearned run. Nicholas Kurtz went the middle three, allowing two runs before Emilo Morales punched four of his 16 batters faced, allowing three hits and no earned runs.
The Brave's starter, Alejandro Rosario, recorded just one strikeout, in his one-hit, no-run outing. Michael Flores also had a one-hit outing, allowing an unearned run and striking out four before Lucus Gordon closed with a tied-day-high five strikeouts, allowing a run and five hits.
The Brave tossed four scoreless innings to start things off before finally allowing a run thanks to back-to-back errors.
The Pride allowed one in the third, but two runs in the fifth and eighth were the backbreakers in the game.
Offensively, pitcher Lucas Gordan led the Brave with a game-high 2-for-2 outing while Pride's leader was a 2-for-4 Dylan Crews. The Brave's Alek Boychuk led the game with two RBI.
