![](https://img.mlbstatic.com/opprops-images/image/upload/ar_16:9,g_auto,c_fill,w_1024/opprops/zngbnyrt6h5vovpv51tz.jpg 1024w, https://img.mlbstatic.com/opprops-images/image/upload/ar_16:9,g_auto,c_fill,w_640/opprops/zngbnyrt6h5vovpv51tz.jpg 640w, https://img.mlbstatic.com/opprops-images/image/upload/ar_16:9,g_auto,c_fill,w_372/opprops/zngbnyrt6h5vovpv51tz.jpg 372w)
The 15U National Team Championships in North Carolina kicked off at the National Training Complex in Cary, North Carolina, on Thursday, July 13. Stay up to date with all the day one pool play action ahead of day two tomorrow.
MBA 2026 SCOUT TEAM 3, LEGACY BASEBALL GROUP 15U BLACK 1
Lights out pitching from the MBA 2026 Scout (1-0) staff secured the 3-1 victory over Legacy Baseball Group 15U Black (0-1) in the first round of the 15U National Team Championships in North Carolina. With this win, MBA picks up its first victory of the tournament with two pool play games left.
Legacy scored its first run coming on back-to-back singles from Isaiah Hearn and James Tronstein. It was an error from MBA that allowed the first run to cross the plate.
Another run was not scored until the top of the fifth when MBA broke the game open by tallying its first hit and its first run. The inning began with a walk to Christopher Reali, who was doubled over by Braden McKee. Reali scored, tagging up on a pop up in foul territory, while the second run scored on a wild pitch which gave MBA the lead. MBA scored again in the sixth with a walk and a single from Aiden Arnett to put two runners aboard. A sacrifice fly from Lucas Cannady scored the third run.
MBA starter Wilson Anderson went 6.0 innings, collecting 12 strikeouts while giving up no earned runs. Ryan Walls closed out the game by striking out the side in the final frame.
MBA was held to three hits, coming from Arnett, Anderson, and Mckee. Legacy Baseball picked up seven hits and Eric Zdunek went 2-for-3 to post the only multi-hit performance of the game.
MBA 2026 Scout Team will face Dirtbags National for its second game of the 15U National Team Championships in North Carolina. The game is slated for 11:30 a.m. on Field 3. Legacy Baseball Group 15U Black will play its second game against Dulins Dodgers Prime Godwin on Field 4, which is also set for 11:30 a.m. Both games will be streamed at USABaseball.TV, and live updates will be provided via @USABScores on Twitter.
DULINS DODGERS PRIME GODWIN 3, DIRTBAGS NATIONAL 3
Logan Corley went 2-for-2 with two base hits and Waller went 2-for-3 with a single and a double as Dulins Dodgers Prime Godwin (0-0-1) tied Dirtbags National (0-0-1), 3-,3 in the opening game of pool play at the 15U National Team Championships in North Carolina.
Each team will head into the second game of pool play still seeking its first victory.
A pair of scoreless innings started the contest, with the two pitching staffs combining for seven early strikeouts. Dulins Dodgers managed to take an early 2-0 lead in the top of the third thanks to RBI singles by Victor Garcia and Kaden Robardey. Two scoreless innings followed before Carson Sharp layed down a perfect bunt to score a runner from third and extend the lead to 3-0 in the top of the sixth. Dirtbags put its first run of the game in the bottom of the frame after a sac fly by Guzman scored a runner from third and made it 3-1. Dulins Dodgers seemed to be in a prime position to close out the game with a win, but a bases loaded walk and a wild pitch allowed Dirtbags to score two runs in the bottom of the seventh to end the game in a 3-3 tie.
Logan Shields threw the first 6.1 innings on the mound for Dulins Dodgers, striking out nine batters while allowing five hits. Garcia and Shawn Sullivan each went 2-for-3 with two singles for Dulins Dodgers. Kiker, Holden, and Hornick all collected base hits for Dirtbags.
Dulins Dodgers will continue pool play as it squares off against Legacy Baseball Group Black at 11:30 a.m. on Field 4. Dirtbags National will next match up against MBA 2026 Scout Team at 11:30 a.m. on Field 3. Both games will be streamed at USABaseball.TV, and live updates will be provided via @USABScores on Twitter.
CANES NATIONAL 15U 5, CITIUS 2026 0
Canes National’s (1-0) pitchers combined for eight strikeouts and allowed just three hits in a 5-0 complete-game shutout of Citius (0-1) in the first round of pool play at the 15U National Team Championships in North Carolina.
After a couple scoreless frames, Canes National took the lead in the third as a mishandled ball in the outfield allowed Grady Emerson to come around and score. A fourth-inning flare sent out to right field by Carson Bolemon hauled in Hunter Harrington for Canes National’s second run. The contest stayed quiet until the seventh, as Canes National added a trio of insurance runs which began with Alex Harrington pounding a one-out pitch to left for an RBI double. A sacrifice fly sandwiched by a pair of base hits saw RBI’s for Andrew Costello and Jaxon Matthews.
Bolemon stood strong at the plate, as he went 2-for-2 with a pair of singles and an RBI, while Emerson posted a 2-for-3 outing and scored twice for Canes National. Rhys Wolf led the way for Canes National, as he tossed 4.1 scoreless innings of three-hit ball while striking out five in the process. Jacob Horwitz took over from there, as he faced the minimum and completed the shutout while giving up no hits over 2.2 strong innings.
Logan Schultz held his ground on the bump as well, as he punched out six batters while giving up no earned runs over 4.0 innings. Cooper Skinner and Josiah Rojas each collected a double in the contest.
Canes National will next face Team Elite on Coleman Field at 11:15 a.m. while Citius 2026’s next opponent will be Padres Scout Team also at 11:15 a.m. at Field 2. Both games will be streamed at USABaseball.TV, and live updates will be provided via @USABScores on Twitter.
PADRES SCOUT TEAM 15U 8, TEAM ELITE 5
Padres Scout Team registered eight hits on the day in an 8-5 victory over Team Elite in game one of pool play of the 15U National Team Championships in North Carolina.
Jacob Lombard got things started for the Padres in the second inning with a leadoff double to then steal third, followed by an RBI triple from Codey Gauff. Team Elite evened things out at 1-1 with bases loaded and a fielder’s choice to score Mason Archie. A big third inning for the Padres added four runs on the board on three singles and four walks to put the score at 5-1. With bases loaded in the fifth, Justice Dejong was walked in, followed by a sacrifice fly from Dylan Cheek for Lombard to tag up and make it a 7-1 ball game. The Padres added a late run in the sixth with an RBI single from Dejong. Team Elite rallied in the seventh on five walks and a clutch two-run RBI single from Reiston Durham, but it wasn’t enough with a final score of 8-5.
Dejong helped lead the Padres’ offense with a 2-for-3 day with two singles and two RBIs. Gauff was also stout at the plate, finishing 1-for-2 with two RBIs and a walk. Riley Sherowski (1-0) started on the mound for the Padres, pitched five innings of one-hit baseball to pick up the victory, striking out five batters and walking four.
Durham produced the only two hits for Team Elite, going 2-for-4 with two RBIs and a stolen base. The pitching staff for Team Elite had a combined six strikeouts and ten walks.
Padres Scout Team 15U will face Citius at 11:40 a.m. on Field 2 to continue pool play of the 15U 2023 National Team Championships. Team Elite will next match up with Canes National 15U at 11:40 a.m. on Coleman Field. Both games will be streamed at USABaseball.TV, and live updates will be provided via @USABScores on Twitter.
2026 TEXAS TWELVE 10, WOW FACTOR NATIONAL 4
2026 Texas Twelve (1-0) used an eight-run surge in the seventh to take down Wow Factor National (0-1) in the opening round of the 15U National Team Championships in North Carolina.
With the teams tied at 2-2, heading into the seventh, Texas Twelve exploded for eight runs due to some tough breaks for Wow Factor. Texas Twelve took a 4-2 lead on back-to-back walks with the bases loaded, and then strung together five runs in as many consecutive at-bats on a hit-by-pitch, balk, wild pitch, RBI double, and error with the bases still loaded, to take a 10-2 lead.
Wow Factor looked to rally in the bottom frame, as Matthew Ponatoski and Keon Johnson drove in runners on back-to-back doubles, but was unable to overcome the late deficit.
Ponatoski led all players in the game with a 4-for-4 outing and two RBIs, while Reeder turned in the lone multi-hit outing for Texas Twelve with a 2-for-3 performance. Texas Twelve’s Ryder Miller was credited with the win after tossing the final two innings of the game and surrendering just two earned runs, while Ponatoski was saddled with the loss after giving up five earned runs in 0.2 innings.
Wow Factor will next play The Dream 15U at 2:30 p.m. on Field 2, while Texas Twelve will face PRD in the second round of pool play of the 15U National Team Championships in North Carolina on Field 3. Both games will be streamed at USABaseball.TV, and live updates will be provided via @USABScores on Twitter.
CANES NATIONAL 15U 10, TEAM ELITE 0
Canes National (2-0) used an eight-run flurry in the third en route to a 10-0 run-rule victory over Team Elite (0-2) in the second round of pool play at the 15U National Team Championships in North Carolina.
Canes National gained an early 2-0 lead through the first two innings which saw a run score as a result of a double play ball and a sacrifice fly from Gabriel Milano. The squad pulled away in the third frame, as the eight-run barrage began with Gunnar Alm drilling a ball down the right field line for a leadoff triple. The Canes strung together three consecutive hits highlighted by Brady Abate’s deep RBI double to left and Grady Emerson’s RBI base hit, making it a 4-0 game. A double steal plated Alex Harrington and handed the Canes a five-run advantage. A fielder’s choice followed by a bases-loaded walk scored a pair and widened the margin to seven runs. The inning was capped off as Carson Bolemon pounded a two-out, 3-2 pitch for a bases-clearing single to deliver the tenth run and give the home team a double-digit lead.
Starter Connor Langdon paved the way for Canes National’s mercy-rule win, as he shut down the Team Elite offense over 4.0 innings of one-hit ball while racking up six strikeouts. Boleman was responsible for the brunt of the third-inning damage, as he collected three RBI and a walk while going 1-for-1. Leadoff man Harrington led the team in hits, as he posted a 2-for-2 outing with a single and double apiece while scoring two runs for Canes National.
Lucas Magnozzi was responsible for Team Elite’s lone hit of the contest, as he went 1-for-1 with a single.
Canes National will wrap up pool play in a 10:45 a.m. matchup on Friday against Padres Scout Team at Jack Coombs field while Team Elite will play its final pool play game also at Jack Coombs field on Friday at 1:30 p.m. Both games will be streamed at USABaseball.TV, and live updates will be provided via Twitter at @USABScores.
DIRTBAGS 15U NATIONAL 2, MBA 2026 SCOUT TEAM 6
Consistent hitting and a three run sixth helped MBA 2026 Scout Team (2-0) to outlast Dirtbags 15U National (0-2) 6-2 in the second round of games at the 15U National Team Championships in North Carolina.
Hayden Waller led off the game with a single on the first pitch that was thrown, and after stealing two bases, he scored on a ground out to shortstop from Will Holden to give Dirtbags the early lead. Dirtbags added another in the top of the third coming on an RBI single from Derek Guzman.
In the bottom of the third, MBA tied it up by scoring two runs. Chandler Dantzler reached base on a dropped third strike and Romy DeCenzo followed with a double down the right field line to put runners in scoring position. Dantzler scored on a wild pitch, and DeCenzo followed, scoring on a single from Jordan Martinez.
MBA broke the tie in the bottom of the fourth as Aiden Arnett reached on an error before Lucas Cannady then reached on a fielder’s choice, eventually scoring on an RBI single from Wilson Anderson. In the bottom of the sixth, MBA tacked on two more insurance runs after an RBI singles from Tyler Ellis and Christopher Reali. A third run scored in the inning after a passed ball sent Ellis home.
MBA starter Matthew Bysheim earned the win after going 5.2 innings giving up just two hits and striking out five. Martinez, Reali, Anderson, all posted multi hit games going 2-for-3 with a combined three RBIs. Waller picked up two hits for Dirtbags while Derek Guzman earned the only other hit for the Dirtbags.
MBA 2026 Scout Team will face Dulins Dodgers Prime for its third game of the 15U National Team Championships in North Carolina. The game is slated for 1:45 p.m. on Friday on Field 3. Dirtbags 15U National will play its third game against Legacy Baseball 15U Black at Jack Coombs Field on the campus of Duke University, which is set for 8.00 a.m. on Friday. Both games will be streamed at USABaseball.TV, and live updates will be provided via @USABScores on Twitter.
LEGACY BASEBALL 4, DULINS DODGERS 0
Hamilton Freidberg went 2-for-3 with a single, double, RBI, and a run scored to lead Legacy Baseball (1-1-0) to a 4-0 win over Dulins Dodgers (0-1-1) in game two of pool play at the 2023 15U National Team Championships in North Carolina.
With the win, Legacy Baseball collects its first win of the week.
Legacy managed to put the first run of the day on the board in the top of the third thanks to an RBI single by Isaiah Hearn that made it 1-0. Two innings later, a double by Freidberg followed by a fielder’s choice and a sac fly by Patrick Arranaga made it 4-0 in favor of Legacy. Jake Chung entered in relief in the bottom of the seventh for Legacy and struck out one batter and forced two groundouts to secure the 4-0 win.
James Tronstein went 2-for-2 with two singles and a run scored to help lead the Legacy offense. Peter Jackson threw 3.1 relief innings for Legacy, allowing just one hit. Jackson Voris and Carson Sharp each went 1-for-2 with a base hit for Dulins Dodgers. Logan Corley started on the mound for Dulins Dodgers, striking out eight while allowing just one run across five innings of work.
Legacy will take the field again tomorrow against Dirtbags National at Jack Coombs Field at 8:00 a.m. Dulins Dodgers will be back in action against MBA 2026 Scout Team tomorrow on Field 3 at 1:45 p.m. Both games will be streamed on USABaseball.TV and live updates will be provided via Twitter @USABScores.
PADRES SCOUT TEAM 15U 4, CITIUS 2026 2
Justice Dejong went 2-for-3 with a home run to lead the Padres to a 4-3 victory against Citius 2026 in game two of pool play of the 15U National Team Championships in North Carolina.
The Padres plated an early runner in the first on a balk to score Nathaneal Davis. Citius struck back in the third as Roman Stevens stepped up big with a two-run RBI single to score Lyndon Lee and Cooper Skinner. Dejong tied things up at two in the third with an RBI single to center, and the Padres took back the lead in the sixth as Dejong homered to left field followed by a wild pitch to score Codey Gauff. The sixth-inning output gave the Padres all they would need as they went on to win, 4-2.
Dejong started out the tournament strong, going 4-for-6 on day one with four RBIs and a home run to help lead the Padres to a 2-0 start in pool play. The Padres’ starting pitcher, Justin Munoz, went six innings deep with one strikeout and gave up three hits.
Stevens went 1-for-2 with the two RBIs that put Citius on the board. Trey Rangel started on the mound for Citius, pitching five innings with five strikeouts and three walks. Ethan Vanroekel came on in relief in the sixth, allowing one hit and striking out a batter.
Padres Scout Team 15U will face Canes National 15U Friday, July 14th at 10:45 a.m. at Jack Coombs Field to continue day two of pool play of the 15U 2023 National Team Championships. Citius 2026 will next match up with Team Elite tomorrow at 1:30 p.m. at Jack Coombs Field. Both games will be streamed at USABaseball.TV, and live updates will be provided via @USABScores on Twitter.
ALPHA PRIME 11, POWER BASEBALL MARUCCI 6
The bottom of the order produced five hits and four RBIs for Alpha Prime (1-0) as it defeated Power Baseball Marucci, 11-6, on day one action of the 15U National Team Championships North Carolina at Jack Coombs Field in Durham, North Carolina.
It was a high-scoring affair from the jump in Durham, as Power Baseball (0-1) scored three runs in the opening frame. Ethan Rathmann opened the scoring with a two-run triple to drive in the first two runs, followed by Tucker Jones’ RBI single to put Power Baseball in front 3-0. Alpha Prime responded for a run in the bottom of the first on Dillon Moss’ run-scoring double to cut its deficit to two before a five-run explosion put the squad in front.
Alpha’s five-run second inning was due mostly to wild pitching by Power Baseball, as the squad drew five bases-loaded walks to propel in front. Masen Belding added a run-scoring single for Alpha, making it a 6-3 edge in the second inning. Matthew Maxon and Max Medina chipped in two run-scoring knocks in the third to extend the lead to 8-3 in the third.
After a pair of scoreless frames in the middle innings, Power Baseball attempted to mount a comeback in the top of the fifth. Danny Garcia hit an RBI double followed immediately by Rathmann picking up another RBI single to make it an 8-5 score. But Alpha got right back to work in the bottom of the inning to extend its lead back to five on an RBI hit by Mason and a Medina sacrifice fly. The two sides exchanged runs late on an error and double play, but Alpha held on for the 11-6 win.
Mason and Medina had two RBIs apiece for Alpha Prime, which notched eight total hits as a team. Parker Low drew three walks and scored a run for the victors. Rathmann had the lone multi-hit day for Power Baseball, going 2-for-4 with three RBIs.
Power Baseball is back in action on Friday morning, taking on East Coast Sox Scout on Field 3 at 8:00 a.m. ET. Alpha Prime will take on USA Prime National at 8:00 a.m. ET on Coleman Field. Both games will be streamed at USABaseball.TV, and live updates will be provided via @USABScores on Twitter.
PRD 4, 2026 TEXAS TWELVE RED SOX 5
2026 Texas Twelve Red Sox (2-0) hung on to win a one-run ball game against PRD (0-1) during a pool play game at the 15U National Team Championships in North Carolina. With the win, Texas Twelve earns its second victory of the tournament and remains undefeated.
PRD’s Jason Amalbert led the game off by tagging the first pitch thrown for a double down the left field line. Amalbert later scored on Salvador Garcia’s grounder to the shortstop. In the bottom of the second, Texas Twelve tied it up, plating its first run on Jordan Garza’s double to score Judson Dowell.
Texas Twelve broke open the game in the bottom of the fifth, scoring four runs on three hits including a double from Walker Anderson. The third run in the inning came on a stolen base where Bryce Nixon taking second gave Ryan Steele enough time to score. The inning was capped off with an RBI double from Dowell, but a runner was tagged out on third to end the frame.
In the top of the sixth, PRD earned its first run since the first inning coming on a liner up the middle from Deacon Nelson to score Matthew Tafuri. The bases remained loaded as the runners moved station to station with only one away. Another run quickly came across on an RBI single from Luke Williams followed by a walk to force in another. Yet, the comeback was not enough.
2026 Texas Twelve starter Jordan Garza went 4.0 innings giving up only one earned run with four strikeouts to earn the victory. To help its case, Dowell went 2-for-2 with a double for the Twelve. For PRD, both Nelson and Williams went 2-for-3, each with an RBI, in the comeback attempt.
PRD will face The Dream 15U for its second game of the 15U National Team Championships in North Carolina. The game is slated for 10:45 a.m. on Friday on Field 2. 2026 Texas Twelve will play its third game against The Dream 15U on Field 2, which is set for 1:30 p.m. on Friday. Both games will be streamed at USABaseball.TV, and live updates will be provided via @USABScores on Twitter.
WOW FACTOR NATIONAL 15U 7, THE DREAM 15U 0
Wow Factor National 15U (1-1) batted around to register six hits in a 7-0 triumph over The Dream 15U (0-1) to conclude pool play for day one of the 15U National Team Championships in North Carolina.
Wow Factor started off the scoring in the first with bases loaded and back-to-back singles from Jaylen Walker and Lincoln Boyle to drive in three runs. With two men on the corners, a wild pitch sent Charlie Lods home and an RBI single from Keon Johnson would move the score to 5-0. Wow Factor would plate another run in the third as Michael Cantu singled to left field and brought home Jack Woda. Cantu brought in another run in the fifth to extend Wow Factor’s lead 7-0 and finish things off against Dream.
Cantu played a vital role in Wow Factor’s offense, going 2-for-4 on the day with two RBIs and a stolen base. Walker was also stout at the plate going 1-for-2 with two RBIs and two walks. Will Adams started on the mound for Wow Factor, throwing three shutout innings with six strikeouts and allowed one hit. Jaylen Walker finished things off in the sixth, striking out two batters and allowing zero hits.
Chance Dixon and Ellis Appling both had one hit on the day for Dream.
Wow Factor National 15U will face PRD Friday, July 14th at 1:30 p.m. at Coleman Field to continue day two of pool play of the 15U 2023 National Team Championships. The Dream 15U will next match up with PRD tomorrow at 10:45 a.m. on Field 2. Both games will be streamed at USABaseball.TV, and live updates will be provided via @USABScores on Twitter.
ZT PROSPECTS 10, ELITE SQUAD 2
Elijah Beekley went 1-for-1 with a double, two runs scored, and two walks to lead ZT Prospects (1-0) to a 10-2 victory over Elite Squad (0-1) in five innings.
With the win, ZT Prospects begins the week with an undefeated record.
ZT Prospects took an early 4-0 lead in the top of the second thanks to four bases loaded walks. Elite Squad responded in the bottom of the third with two runs of its own coming off sac flies from Adrian Bermudez and Reggie Rodriguez. Two passed balls and singles from Jaxson Wood and Raphael Dunne plated four more runs for ZT Prospects in the fourth and set the score at 8-2. In the top of the fifth, the ZT offense kept rolling, scoring two runs on a fielder’s choice and a single by Tyler Young. Alexander Hubbard forced a three up, three down bottom in the fifth to secure the 10-2 run rule victory for ZT Prospects.
Young went 1-for-1 with a base hit, two RBIs and two runs scored to help lead the ZT Prospects offense. Wood finished the day 1-for-2 with a single, two RBIs, and a run scored. Mora went 1-for-3 with a double and a run scored for Elite Squad.
Pool play at the 2023 15U National Team Championships continues tomorrow. ZT Prospects will take on Top Tier Select on Field 3. Elite Squad will face off against East Cobb Astros on Field 4. First pitch for each game is set for 8:00 a.m. Both games will be streamed on USABaseball.TV and live updates will be provided via Twitter @USABScores.
USA PRIME NATIONAL 15U 12, EAST COAST SOX SCOUT 1
USA Prime National 15U (1-0) picked up the lead in the third and never let up, securing a 12-1 statement win over East Coast Sox Scout (0-1) on Day 1 of pool play at the 15U National Team Championships in North Carolina.
USA Prime scratched a run across first, as Deion Cole sent a sacrifice fly to center in the third and took advantage of Colten Springall’s triple down the right field line earlier in the inning. CJ Sampson jumped on the first pitch he saw in the top of the fourth and sent a solo shot over the right field wall to make it 2-0. The away team only got hotter, as a double sent to right by Kruz Schoolcraft followed by a walk put two base runners on early in the fifth for USA Prime. Later in the inning, Cole sent a long two-out single off the left field wall and plated the pair of base runners. Back-to-back walks advanced Cole to third, who then scored off a wild pitch, making it a 5-0 contest. East Coast Sox cut into the deficit by a slim margin in the home half of the fifth, as a fielding error allowed Ian Weaver to score the Sox’s lone run of the contest. USA Prime gained a couple runs back in the sixth. After back-to-back singles by Chandler Hart and Schoolcraft started the frame, pinch-hitter Hudson Brzustewicz slapped a 1-0 pitch through the left side to plate the pair of runners. The bats stayed active in the top of the seventh, as Rookie Shepard led off the inning with a double and quickly came around to score after a subsequent base knock and a wild pitch. A double steal scored the ninth run and was added onto after a wild pitch and then a two-RBI triple by Catcher Hopkins, cementing a 12-1 victory.
Schoolcraft went to work at the plate, as he scored two of USA Prime’s runs in his 3-for-3 outing and finished the day a home run short of the cycle. Cole went 2-for-4 on the day for USA Prime, as he knocked in a couple runs and scored once. Rookie Shepard and CJ Sampson each collected a couple hits in three at-bats; they scored a run apiece and Sampson gathered an RBI with his home run. Sampson also made noise in his start on the bump as he struck out five in 2.2 innings of work.
Wyatt Williams took charge at the plate for East Coast Sox, as he posted a 2-for-2 performance with two singles. Weaver went 1-for-1 with a walk and a run scored for the Sox.
USA Prime National plays its next pool play game against Alpha Prime 2026 at 8:00 a.m. Friday morning at Coleman Field while East Coast Sox will square off against Power Baseball 2026 Marucci also at 8:00 a.m. Friday morning on Field 2. Both games will be streamed at USABaseball.TV, and live updates will be provided via Twitter at @USABScores.
EAST COBB ASTROS 1, TOP TIER SELECT 0 (F/8)
East Cobb Astros (1-0) scored the lone run of the game on a walk-off double to defeat Top Tier Select, 1-0, in an extra-inning pitchers’ duel on Thursday at Jack Combs Field in Durham, North Carolina.
With a pair of runners placed on base due to the international tiebreaker rule in a scoreless game in the eighth, C. Russell cranked a walk-off double to lead East Cobb to victory.
Scoring opportunities were hard to come by in the contest, as lights-out pitching was the story of the day. Top Tier (0-1) had two base runners reach to lead off the top of the third but a fly-out and double play helped East Cobb escape the jam unscathed. Top Tier reached again in the fourth, but another double play erased the baserunner to keep the shutout intact.
East Cobb nearly won it in the bottom of the seventh before eventually walking off in the eighth. A pair of two-out singles put the tying run in scoring position, but a pick off halted the threat and sent the game to extras.
Pitching was dominant on both sides in the contest. Thomas Cook pitched 4.1 innings of two-hit ball before handing it over to Jansen, whose 3.2 hitless frames earned him the win. Kaden Waechter tossed seven shutout innings for Top Tier, striking out four.
Both teams return to action on Friday, as Top Tier matches up with ZT Prospects National at 8:00 a.m. ET on Field 3. East Cobb will take on Elite Squad at 8:00 a.m. on Field 4. Both games will be streamed at USABaseball.TV, and live updates will be provided via Twitter at @USABScores.