CARY, N.C. – The USA Baseball Collegiate National Team kicked its 2023 Training Camp into high gear Sunday, opening its four-game Stars vs. Stripes intrasquad series with a 12-inning contest at Coleman Field. The Stars scored five unearned runs in the bottom of the ninth inning en route to a 15-5 victory under modified scoring provisions in the first official contest of the CNT’s 14-game summer slate.
Charlie Condon (Georgia) paced the Stars with a 3-for-5 afternoon, while Duce Gourson (UCLA) reached base safely in each of his five trips to the plate.
In a game controlled by the two pitching staffs through the first seven frames, the Stripes erased a three-run deficit with a two-out rally in the eighth. Jacob Cozart (NC State) belted a two-run homer, and Ryan Stafford (Cal Poly) drove in a run with one of his three hits on the day.
But the Stars responded in the ninth, as a two-out grounder off the bat of Cam Cannarella (Clemson) was misplayed, allowing the first two runs of the game’s critical rally to cross the plate. Condon’s double brought in a third run, before Malcolm Moore’s (Stanford) mammoth two-run blast to right handed the Stars a 10-5 advantage.
The Stars tacked on three runs in the 10th and single tallies in each of the final two innings to seal the game one decision.
KEY MOMENTS
- The Stars scored twice in the second, using back-to-back hits by Griff O’Ferrall (Virginia) and Jace LaViolette (Texas A&M) to spark the rally.
- Condon added a third hit with his one-out single, before Ethan Anderson (Virginia) drew a bases-loaded walk and Kaelen Culpepper (Kansas State) drove in the second run with a fielder’s choice grounder to short.
- A Stafford double and a two-out JJ Wetherholt (West Virginia) single in the fifth gave the Stripes their first scoring rally of the day.
- Five straight Stripes hitters reached safely with two outs in the eighth, including singles from Stafford, Christian Moore (Tennessee) and Seaver King (Wake Forest).
- Karson Bowen (TCU) singled and Gourson drew one of his four walks on the day to spark the Stars’ ninth.
- The Stars’ trio of Tyson Neighbors (Kansas State), Jay Woolfolk (Virginia) and Matt Scott (Stanford) combined to hold the Stripes scoreless on two hits over the final three frames after reclaiming the lead in the ninth.
NOTEWORTHY
- Trey Yesavage (East Carolina) drew the starting assignment for the Stars and the right-hander responded by allowing just three Stripes to reach base (1 hit, 2 walks) over 3.0 innings.
- His counterpart, Hagen Smith (Arkansas), permitted a pair of earned runs on three hits over his 2 1/3 innings.
- Luke Holman added 3.0 strong innings, allowing one run on two hits for the Stars.
- Devin Futrell (Vanderbilt) turned in 3.0 scoreless innings for the Stripes.
- Following key homers by Cozart and Moore, Cannarella registered the third home run of the contest by leading off the 11th with a solo shot to left-center.
- Mason Molina (Texas Tech) suffered the loss for the Stripes despite not allowing a single earned run over his 2.1 innings.
- Kodey Shojinaga (Kansas) added a 2-for-3 performance, scoring two runs and driving in another.
- The two offenses combined to successfully convert 11-of-12 stolen base attempts, led by King’s three steals and two apiece by Bowen and Rodney Green Jr. (Cal).
- King and Anthony Martinez (UC Irvine) complemented Stafford’s three-hit day with two hits apiece for the Stripes.
ON DECK
- The Collegiate National Team will return to the USA Baseball National Training Complex Monday (June 26) with the second game of its Stars vs. Stripes series at 6 p.m. ET.
- The Stars vs. Stripes series concludes with single games Tuesday and Wednesday. Following its conclusion, the 20th USA vs. Chinese Taipei International Friendship Series will take place from June 30-July 4, with games at the National Training Complex, the Durham Bulls Athletic Park in Durham, Atrium Health Ballpark in Kannapolis, and Segra Stadium in Fayetteville.
- The National Training Complex will host the opening three games of the 44th USA vs. Japan Collegiate All-Star Championship Series from July 7-9, while games four and five of the series will be played at Joseph Riley, Jr. Park in Charleston on July 11 and 12.
- Tickets for this year’s Collegiate National Team Training Camp, along with all tickets to Team USA’s games against Chinese Taipei and Japan, can be found HERE.
SOCIAL MEDIA
- Stay tuned to @USABaseballCNT on Twitter for the most up-to-date news about the 2023 Collegiate National Team Training Camp.
