PANAMA CITY – The 12U National Team showcased its hard work and preparation with a 9-1 victory over Nicaragua in the 2024 World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) U-12 Baseball World Cup Americas Qualifier opener on Monday morning at Estadio Municipal Andy Alonso.
Team USA picks up its first win of the World Cup Americas Qualifier and improves to 1-0 in Group A pool play, joining Colombia and Mexico as the other Group A Game 1 victors.
Carson Schoener got the nod for Team USA and tallied seven strikeouts in the first three innings, setting the tone early for the stars and stripes. The bullpen took over in the fourth frame and refused to surrender a hit the rest of the contest. First, it was Cooper Hutton, who stranded a pair of runners in the fourth and continued to keep the bats of Nicaragua quiet in the fifth. Miles Lockridge entered in the sixth inning and shut the door to secure the 9-1 victory. Schoener’s final line featured 3.2 quality frames with nine strikeouts, two hits, and one unearned run allowed.
Team USA’s opening game win featured a three-headed monster at the plate, as Carlo Rivero, Clayton Ratliff, and Joshua Pierre combined for nine of the squad’s eleven hits, and seven of the team’s nine runs scored. After taking the first pitch of the contest, Pierre got the ball rolling with a single down the left field line. Rivero sent a sacrifice fly to right field later that inning to plate Pierre and Team USA’s first run of the ballgame. The U.S. proceeded to score nearly every inning after, scoring one in the second and a pair each of the following two frames. A three-run sixth, which was ignited by Ratliff, saw heads-up baserunning and patient at-bats, handing the U.S. a comfortable eight-run lead.
Ratliff and Rivero each went a perfect 3-for-3 in today’s win, including three runs scored by Ratliff and three RBIs off the bat of Rivero. Pierre notched a 3-for-4 performance and scored three runs himself.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Pierre recorded Team USA’s first hit and run of the game, beginning with his first-inning leadoff single. Rivero then took advantage with a sacrifice fly to right, scoring Pierre and putting the U.S. up 1-0 early.
- Ratliff picked up his first hit of the ballgame with a two-out, stand-up double down the right field line in the second inning. Ethan Palacios followed up and poked a 2-2 offering to left field to score Ratliff.
- It was Pierre again at the beginning of the third, as the second baseman collected his second hit of the day with a leadoff base knock. A bases-loaded hit-by-pitch scored Pierre for the team’s third run and was followed up by a sacrifice fly off the bat of Jayden Portes to make it 4-0.
- With two on and two out in the fourth inning, Rivero took advantage once again and cleared the bases with a sharp line drive to center.
- Offense resumed in the sixth, after a ball put into play by Pierre plated Ratliff who led off the frame with a single. A two-out defensive miscue allowed Team USA to score a pair of runs and solidify the 9-1 lead.
NOTABLES
- The 12U National Team extends its record to 11-0 in tournament openers against international competition.
- This is the first time these nations have competed since 2018; the 12U National Team is now 5-2 all-time against Nicaragua.
- Schoener is now tied for first with Tyler Early for most strikeouts in a game in 12U National Team history. Early notched nine punchouts against Korea in the 2023 WBSC U-12 Baseball World Cup.
- Schoener leads all pitchers in strikeouts while Pierre, Ratliff, and Rivero each notched multi-hit outings and sit atop the leaderboard in hits (3).
- Pierre swiped four bags in today’s win, landing him first among all players in stolen bases.
QUOTABLES
- “This is a great group of players,” Manager Bryan Madsen said. “The first game of any series is huge, so this win in the opener is definitely a statement win. We’re ready for a great week of baseball, every country here gets better each year but so do we.”
- “It felt great to finally be able to take the mound,” Schoener said. “I knew my team had my back no matter what. We all came together today and it’s a good feeling being able to trust my teammates like that.”
ON DECK
Next up, the 12U National Team faces Mexico (1-0) Tuesday morning at Estadio Nacional Rod Carew with first pitch slated for 10:30 a.m. local/11:30 a.m. ET.
SOCIAL MEDIA
To follow along with all the action with the 12U National Team, be sure to follow @USABaseball12U on Twitter and @USABaseball on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter.
