WORCESTER, Mass. - Jeremy Eierman hit a two-run double and scored once, while Cadyn Grenier hit a solo home run as the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team defeated the Futures League All-Stars, 6-4, on Tuesday from Hanover Insurance Park on the campus of Holy Cross.
Trailing 4-3 in the fifth inning, Jake McCarthy would rip a RBI-triple down the right-field line to score pinch runner Braden Shewmake and then scored one pitch later on a wild pitch for a 5-4 lead.
Grenier pushed the lead to 6-4 in the top of the eighth inning as he blasted a line drive solo home run over the center-field wall.
Team USA jumped out to a quick 2-0 advantage in the second inning as Eierman ripped a two-out line drive off the right-center field wall to bring home McCarthy and Grant Koch.
After the FCBL All-Stars tied the game in the bottom of the second inning, the United States would score a run in the top of the fourth inning for a 3-2 lead as Eierman crossed home on a wild pitch. The Futures League All-Stars responded with a pair of solo home runs in the bottom half of the fourth by Jake Frasca and Andre Marrero for its only lead of the game at 4-3.
Jake Irvin picked up his first win of the summer tossing 4.0 innings allowing four runs on five hits with five strikeouts. Jon Olsen tossed 3.0 scoreless inning in relief with five punch outs. Ryley Gilliam recorded his third save of the summer with a scoreless ninth inning.
The U.S. team ended the game with six runs on six hits with no errors, while the FCBL All-Stars finished with four runs on eight hits and one error.
The United States will begin a five-game series with Japan in the 41st USA vs. Japan Collegiate All-Star Series on Wednesday at 7 p.m. from Dunkin Donuts Park in Hartford, Connecticut.
The series against Japan is sanctioned by the World Baseball Softball Confederation.