by USA Baseball
TAICHUNG – Playing its first international exhibition game, the 2013 USA Baseball 18U National Team knocked nine hits, falling 6-5 to Chinese Taipei in a 18U Baseball World Cup tune-up game at Taichung City Stadium on Monday evening in Taichung.
“This was the first taste of international baseball for a lot of these guys,” said 18U National Team manager, Rob Cooper. “It was good to see the Asian style of baseball, but we just didn’t play a complete game tonight.”
Keaton McKinney (Ankeny, Iowa) got the nod on the mound for Team USA. The right-hander worked into the fourth inning, allowing one run on five hits while striking out five and walking one.
Down by a run in the top of the third inning, the U.S. bats came alive. Adam Haseley (Windermere, Fla.) led off the inning with a double down the left field line. After an unsuccessful sacrifice bunt attempt put one away, Bryson Brigman (San Jose, Calif.) singled through the left side to put runners on the corners.
U.S. shortstop Trace Loehr (Milwaukie, Ore.) matched his middle infield partner with a ground ball that was bobbled by the second baseman to score Haseley and tie the game. The offense wasn’t done there. Scott Hurst (Glendora, Calif.) and Alex Destino (Weaverville, N.C.) both added RBI singles before the inning was over to give the USA its first lead in international play this year, 3-1.
Joe DeMers (Martinez, Calif.) took over for McKinney on the mound with one on and no outs in the fourth inning. After a bunt single and an error by Brigman, Chinese Taipei scored runs in three consecutive at-bats, including back-to-back RBI singles from Li Lin and Kuo-Hao Wu, to take a 4-3 lead. A bobbled pick-off attempt allowed Lin to score from third, giving TPE a four-run inning and a 5-3 advantage.
The Red, White and Blue stormed back in the top of the seventh as Brigman led off with a seven-pitch walk before an error on Loehr’s fielder’s choice put runners on the corners with no outs. Brigman scored on an errant throw from the catcher on Loehr’s stolen base and Loehr scored on a Michael Rivera (Venice, Fla.) single after Hurst sacrificed him over to third on a perfectly executed bunt, tying the game at 5-5.
Brady Aiken (Cardiff by the Sea, Calif.) took over on the mound in the bottom of the fifth. The southpaw worked into the eighth inning, allowing just one unearned run while striking out two and surrendering three hits. He was relieved with runners on the corners and one out in the eighth by Mac Marshall (Parkview, Ga.), who struck out back-to-back hitters to hold the deficit to one.
Wen-Hua Sung retired the USA in order in the ninth inning to notch the save. Cheng-Tang Wang earned the victory on the mound for Chinese Taipei while Aiken was charged with the loss.
“We have a lot to build on,” Cooper commented. “These exhibition games need to show our guys what it takes it win in international baseball. Hopefully them learning the style of play, making adjustments, and just better execution on the field will provide the results.”
The two teams will meet again on Tuesday at 2 a.m. ET (2 p.m. local) at Taichung City Stadium.
