PANAMA CITY – Team USA scored four runs in the third inning and got five innings of shutout relief from Josh Owens to beat Puerto Rico, 6-3, and advance to the gold medal game of the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) U-18 Baseball World Cup Americas Qualifier.
The United States is now 7-0 in tournament play.
After jumping out to a quick 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first, the U.S. found itself in a 3-2 hole when Puerto Rico (4-3) rallied for a trio of runs in the top of the second. Team USA responded in the bottom of the third with a four-run outburst to take the lead, starting when Kayson Cunningham doubled and Gavin Fien singled to begin the frame. After a four-pitch walk to Ethan Holliday loaded the bases, a throwing error on a Nico Partida fielder’s choice knotted the game at three. Brayden Jaksa then gave the U.S. the lead with an RBI single by a diving shortstop and Grady Emerson followed with a two-run knock past a drawn-in infield to give Team USA a 6-3 lead that it would go on to win by.
Owens entered the game in relief of U.S. starter Jordan Martin, who permitted two earned runs in two innings. Despite allowing singles to the first two batters he faced in the third, Owens retired the next three to keep the U.S. within striking distance. The righthander continued to dance around baserunners in every inning after Team USA took a 6-3 lead, but he never allowed a run to earn the win. When Puerto Rico brought the tying run to the plate with no outs in the seventh, Owens induced a pop out followed by two strikeouts to put the game away and clinch the United States’ spot in the title game.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- With the bags full and only one out in the bottom of the first, Partida sent a sacrifice fly into center field to score Cunningham before the throw to third got away and allowed Fien to come home and make it a 2-0 game.
- Puerto Rico scored its first run on a fielder’s choice in the second inning and then took the lead on a two-run single to right field by Adiesel Berrios; Martin limited any further damage by getting the next two batters to keep the score at 3-2.
- The U.S. looked to respond immediately in the bottom of the third when Emerson singled and Quentin Young walked, but Jerethzael Pica came out of the Puerto Rico bullpen and coaxed two fly outs to end the frame.
- Cunningham doubled, Fien singled, and Holliday drew a walk to load the bases to begin the U.S. half of the third. Fien would then come around to tie the score at three when the throw to first base on Partida’s fielder’s choice went into right field.
- Still in trouble in the third, Puerto Rico went to Diego Torres out of the bullpen, and Jaksa greeted him with an RBI single on the first pitch he saw to give Team USA a 4-3 lead.
- With runners on second and third and the infield in, Emerson grounded a two-run single into right field as the United States’ lead became 6-3 in the third.
- Two walks and a wild pitch put runners on the corners for Puerto Rico in the fourth, but Owens induced an inning-ending, 5-3 double play turned by Holliday to keep the three-run lead intact.
- Puerto Rico had two baserunners reach in both the fifth and sixth innings, but putouts by Cunningham with two outs in both frames kept the U.S. in front by three.
- Owens escaped trouble one final time in the seventh when Puerto Rico hit back-to-back singles to get the tying run to the plate with no outs; the righthander coaxed a pop out followed by two swinging strikeouts to finish off the 6-3 win.
NOTABLES
- Owens finished the contest with a final line of five innings pitched, five hits allowed, and five strikeouts. He also walked four batters.
- Emerson (2-for-3, 2 RBI) and Fien (2-for-3, 2 R) paced the offensive attack for Team USA in the win. Cunningham picked up a hit in two at-bats and drew a walk, raising his tournament average to .450.
- Despite the red, white, and blue’s 19-inning scoreless streak being snapped in the second inning of the win, the staff still owns a sub-1.00 ERA (0.96).
- Team USA has clinched a spot in the WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup Americas Qualifier gold medal game for the 11th time in 15 appearances in the tournament.
- Saturday’s win was the stars and stripes' 25th consecutive win at the World Cup Qualifier.
- The U.S. improves its all-time record against Puerto Rico to 7-1 at the U-18 level.
QUOTABLES
“The game was great,” Owens said. “The guys played hard. We ran into some trouble early in the game, but I was able to come in and throw some strikes. Everybody had my back, and we came out with a win, so we’re headed to the gold medal game.”
ON DECK
Team USA will play the winner of Saturday night’s second semifinal between Cuba and Panama. The gold medal game will be held on Sunday at Estadio Nacional Rod Carew at 1:00 p.m. local/2:00 p.m. ET.
