AGUASCALIENTES, Mexico - Brock Thompson (Bakersfield, Calif.) hit a pair of home runs, including a grand slam, and his power production was part of a six-home run performance by Team USA, who defeated Panama 15-0 behind a no-hitter pitched by Paul Dominguez (Anaheim, Calif.). The win improved Team USA's group play record to 2-0 at the 2018 COPABE U-12 Pan American Championships.
USA's first four hits of the game left the yard. Masato Chilcutt (San Antonio, Texas), who hit a three-run home run in the first inning Friday over Cuba, connected in the first inning Saturday with a two-run home run. Kailand Halstead (Aberdeen, Wash.) followed with a solo home run to go back-to-back for a 3-0 USA lead. Thompson's first home run came in his first at-bat. A solo home run to left-centerfield for a 4-0 USA lead. Julius Pfau (Tampa, Fla.) followed with another solo home run and it marked USA's second string of back-to-back home runs in the game. The pair of home runs in the second inning was part of a five-run, four-hit inning to build their lead to 8-0.
Pfau walked in the third inning and scored from first base off a double drilled down the left field line by Kameron Davis (Albany, Georgia) to push the lead to 9-0. The first three batters of the third inning reached base for USA and it set up Brock Thompson's grand slam home run on a ball hammered to straightaway centerfield for a 13-0 lead. The game ended via run-rule later in the inning with Kameron Davis lining a ball well over the centerfield fence for a two-run home run.
While the offense was making their noise, USA starting pitcher Paul Dominguez kept the Panama bats quiet. He went the four-inning complete game not allowing a hit and faced one batter over the minimum. Dominguez struck out three batters en route to the victory (1-0). Panama went through four different pitchers and none of their arms went longer than Angel Vasquez, who started on the mound and was credited with the loss after allowing five runs off four hits in 1.1 innings.
USA's 15 runs came off 11 hits, with Davis leading the way with a three-hit performance (3-for-4). Thompson (2-for-3) also had a multi-hit game for USA and led the team with five runs-batted-in. The stars and stripes were 6-for-11 as a team with runners on base, with Davis going 2-for-2 in the category.
USA improves to 5-0 all-time against Panama and 3-0 in COPABE competition. The U.S. also moves to 2-0 in Group B play of the tournament, while Panama falls to 1-1. They continue their play in Aguascalientes Monday facing Columbia with a 9 a.m. CT first pitch at CECADI Stadium.
