BRADENTON, Fla. – Bryce Eldridge (Vienna, Va.) hit a go-ahead grand slam in the bottom of the fifth as Team USA powered past the Netherlands, 9-3, in its opening game of the XXX World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) U-18 Baseball World Cup on Friday night at LECOM Park in Bradenton, Florida.
With the game knotted at three in the fifth, three consecutive walks loaded the bases for Team USA. After the Netherlands made a pitching change, Eldridge strolled to the plate and delivered the game-deciding blow, a grand slam over the wall in right field to give the U.S. a 7-3 lead. The homer gave the stars and stripes their first lead of the game and was part of nine unanswered runs scored by the team after they fell into an early 3-0 hole.
The nine consecutive runs came after homers in each of the first two innings by the Netherlands which gave the road team a quick 3-0 lead. Team USA began battling back when Aidan Miller (Trinity, Fla.) hit a triple in the second inning and scored the team’s first run before cranking another three-bagger in the fourth to help the U.S. creep within one. The stars and stripes tied it on an RBI fielder’s choice by Max Clark (Franklin, Ind.) in the fourth, setting the stage for Eldridge’s go-ahead blast in the fifth.
Miller’s two triples accounted for one of Team USA’s two multi-hit performances, as Colt Emerson (Cambridge, Ohio) also collected a pair of hits in the victory. Eldridge had a game-high five RBIs, also drawing one of Team USA’s eight walks. Miller – who reached in all four of his plate appearances – scored three runs to lead the U.S. in that category, followed by Blake Mitchell’s (Sinton, Texas) two runs scored.
Blake Dickerson (Virginia Beach, Va.) started on the mound for the U.S. and pitched 4.1 innings, allowing three runs on three hits. Dickerson settled in after surrendering two early homers, striking out six batters throughout his start. Cameron Tilly (Newburgh, Ind.) provided 1.2 innings of hitless relief to earn the win, and Alex Clemmey (Middletown, R.I.) got the final three outs for Team USA. Justin Morales suffered the loss for the Netherlands after getting tagged for three runs in an inning of work.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The Netherlands’ Kendrey Maduro hit a two-run homer in the top of the first to give the visitors a 2-0 lead.
- Jayden Mohamed extended the Netherlands’ lead to 3-0 in the second with a solo home run.
- Aidan Miller led off Team USA’s half of the second with a triple off the wall in center and scored on Bryce Eldridge’s RBI groundout to trim the Netherlands’ lead to 3-1.
- Back-to-back triples by Blake Mitchell and Aidan Miller put the U.S. within one in the fourth before Max Clark’s RBI fielder’s choice tied the game at three.
- After a trio of walks loaded the bases in the fifth, Bryce Eldridge cranked a go-ahead grand slam deep over the right-field wall as the U.S. took a 7-3 advantage for its first lead of the game.
- Kendall George doubled to plate Dylan Cupp with two outs in the fifth inning to grow Team USA’s lead to five.
- The U.S. tacked on another insurance run in the bottom of the sixth when Gavin Grahovac singled and came around to score, giving the stars and stripes a 9-3 edge.
- Alex Clemmey entered in the seventh and struck out two batters to secure the tournament-opening victory for Team USA.
OF NOTE
- Bryce Eldridge’s five RBIs were the most by a Team USA player in a WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup game since Triston Casas also drove in five runs in 2017.
- Aidan Miller became the second U.S. player to hit two triples in a WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup game since 2010, joining Pete Crow-Armstrong, who completed the feat in 2019.
- All three U.S. pitchers struck out at least one batter, led by Blake Dickerson’s six punch outs.
- The U.S. played a stout defensive game, committing zero errors in the victory.
- The 18U National Team has now won seven consecutive WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup openers. The program hasn’t dropped its first game of the tournament since 2006.
- With the win, Team USA improves to 12-0 all-time against the Netherlands at the U-18 level.
- The U.S. sits atop the Group A standings alongside Brazil, who is also 1-0.
ON DECK
Team USA continues XXX WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup play on Saturday, September 10, against Korea. First pitch is set for 7:00 p.m. ET at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota, Florida.
SOCIAL MEDIA
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