FORT MYERS, Fla. – The Stars scored six runs in the second inning and continued to tack on to top the Stripes, 8-4, and win the 18U National Team Training Camp series finale on Friday afternoon at Hammond Stadium in Fort Myers, Florida.
With the result, the Stars picked up their first win of the series in the fourth and final game.
With the Stars already ahead by two runs in the second inning, RJ Hamilton (Hoover, Ala.) broke the game open with one swing, sneaking a double down the left field line with the bases loaded. After two runs already scored, the ball was bobbled in left field, allowing Zion Rose and Hamilton to both score and put the Stars’ lead at 6-0. The Stars added on and held off a late seventh-inning rally by the Stripes to secure their first win of the week.
Hamilton had three hits and two RBIs to lead the Stars on offense, also scoring two runs of his own. Max Clark (Franklin, Ind.) and Dylan Cupp (Cedartown, Ga.) added base hits for the victors, and Cupp, Kevin McGonigle (Aidan, Pa.), and Rose provided RBIs to help tack on. Despite the loss, the Stripes outhit the Stars, led by a two-hit day from PJ Morlando (Summerville, S.C.). Eric Bitonti (Hesperia, Calif.) delivered the biggest hit of the day for the Stripes, a three-run double as his team tried to mount a late comeback in the seventh.
Alex Clemmey (Middletown, R.I.) started on the mound for the Stars and tossed two scoreless innings, allowing two hits and striking out four batters. He was relieved by Chance Fitzgerald (Sanford, Fla.), who turned in two hitless innings to earn the win. Barrett Kent (Pottsboro, Texas) surrendered the loss for the Stripes, allowing three earned runs in three innings of work.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Two walks and a Ryder Helfrick single helped the Stripes load the bases in the top of the first, but Alex Clemmey got a big strikeout to keep the game scoreless.
- Max Clark singled, stole second, and touched home on Dylan Cupp’s RBI single to score the Stars’ first run before Aidan Miller scored on Zion Rose’s walk to give the Stars a 2-0 lead in the second.
- With the bases loaded in the second inning, RJ Hamilton doubled down the left field line and scored when the ball was bobbled to extend the Stars’ lead to 6-0.
- Kevin McGonigle walked to lead off the third for the Stars and came around to score on a wild pitch to put the Stars in front by seven.
- The Stars’ lead grew to 8-0 in the fifth when RJ Hamilton scored his second run of the game on an error after reaching on a bunt single.
- In the top of the seventh, the Stripes struck for a late rally to get themselves back into the game. Their first run came on Camden Kozeal’s RBI single to left field, plating Roman Martin to make it an 8-1 game.
- Eric Bitonti turned it into a four-run game in the seventh when he cranked a three-run double into the gap in right center field, trimming the Stripes’ deficit to 8-4.
- The Stars added one more run in the seventh on Kevin McGonigle’s sac fly to center field, making it a 9-4 final score in favor of the Stars.
OF NOTE
- With his three-hit day, RJ Hamilton raised his batting average to .583 (7-for-12). He hit the only homer of the series and led the Stars in runs (4) and RBIs (3).
- The Stars stole four more bases in the win to finish the series 12-for-14 in that category. Casey Borba, Max Clark, RJ Hamilton, and Kevin McGonigle all swiped bags in Friday’s finale.
- Stone Russell got another hit for the Stripes in Friday’s game to finish the series batting .800 (4-for-5).
- With his three-run double, Eric Bitonti propelled himself into a tie for the Stripes' team lead in RBIs (3, tied with Kendall George).
- The Stripes’ pitching staff accumulated a 3.42 ERA over the four-game series, beating the Stars’ 4.10 staff ERA. Alex Clemmey, Matthew Dallas, and Adam Hachman tied for the series lead in strikeouts (6).
- The Stripes finish 18U National Team Training Camp with a 2-1-1 record. The Stars wrap up the week at 1-2-2.
- The final 20-man roster for the 2022 18U National Team will be announced on Friday night.
SOCIAL MEDIA
To follow along with all the action at 18U National Team Training Camp, be sure to follow @USABaseball18U on Twitter and @USABaseball on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter.
