AGUASCALIENTES, Mexico - In the process of scoring 15 runs off 18 hits, Team USA's Tristan Bristow (San Antonio, Texas) and Gavin Gargiulo (Coral Springs, Fla.) combined to no-hit Brazil in a 15-0 victory at Ferrocarilero Park. The no-hitter is USA's second of the tournament and they have allowed two hits over their last four games to complete group play with a 5-0 record at the 2018 COPABE U-12 Pan American Championships.
Bristow started on the mound and went the first two innings before handing the ball over to Gargiulo for the third inning. Brazil was held to three base runners in the game, with two reaching on walks and one reaching on a dropped third strike. USA faced two batters over the minimum. Bristow was credited with the victory (1-0).
The game ended in the third inning due to USA leading by 15 runs through three innings of play. Their offense was geared up on the very first pitch of the bottom of the first inning. Kameron Davis (Albany, Ga.) hit the first pitch over the right field fence for a quick 1-0 lead. Davis' home run, his second of the tournament, was the first of six runs in the inning for the U.S. Kailand Halstead (Aberdeen, Wash.) plated a pair of runs with a single to left field before Kibru Pam (Pasadena, Calif.), Travis Friend (Whittier, Calif.) and Julius Pfau (Tampa, Fla.) each contributed an RBI to complete the scoring in the first inning.
Christian Hamilton (Lauderhill, Fla.) duplicated Davis' first inning feat in the second inning, hitting the first pitch of the bottom of the second inning over the fence. His home run was the first of the tournament and it provided the U.S. their first of two runs in the second inning. Their second run was registered on a Pam RBI-Single through the right side for an 8-0 lead.
USA sent 11 batters to the plate in the third inning and 10 reached base safely. Pfau and Hamilton each had doubles before Halstead blasted a three-run home run to center field to highlight a seven-run inning. Pfau completed a 2-for-2 performance in the inning alone with a bases-loaded chopper that resulted in the 15th run of the game to halt the game.
All nine batters in the starting lineup produced at least one hit for USA, with seven players producing at least two hits. Hamilton and Pfau each went 3-for-3 at the plate to lead USA in hits. Halstead led the team with five runs-batted-in. USA was 13-for-19 in at-bats with runners on base and 10-for-15 with runners in scoring position. They faced five different Brazil pitchers, and four of the five pitchers did not go more than 0.1 innings.
USA moved their all-time mark to 4-0 all-time against Brazil, with three of the games played in COPABE competition. The U.S. also completed their Group B play with a 5-0 record, finishing atop the group standings (Brazil finished 1-4). They begin the Super Round (three games) in Aguascalientes Thursday facing Venezuela (4-1) with a 12 p.m. (CT) first pitch at Guel Jimenez Park.
Inside the Numbers
76-1 - The U.S. has outscored their opponents 76-1 and they have outhit them 72-5. USA's pitching staff has pitched two no-hitters and two one-hitters in the tournament.
23 - USA has hit 23 home runs in the tournament through five games. The single-tournament high for the U.S. is 37 from the 2016 tournament. The 37 home runs in 2016 was at a pace of 4.1 per game (averaging 4.6 per game this tournament).
17 - In 19 innings of at-bats, USA has scored at least 1 run in 17 of the innings.
12 - With Christian Hamilton's home run Wednesday, 12 different USA players have hit a home run in this season's tournament.
.585 - USA is batting .585 in the tournament. Julius Pfau leads the team hitting .875 (7-for-8)
.631 - USA is hitting .631 (41/65) with runners on base, while holding their opponents to 0-for-22 in the same category. Opponents have been limited to eight at-bats with runners in scoring position (USA is 30-for-49, .612 in the category).
