Defending 18U Champion concludes Exhibition Series with another win

by USA Baseball

TAICHUNG – In another pitching duel, Justus Sheffield (Tullahoma, Tenn.) held a no-hitter into the fifth inning, and the USA offense scored in the ninth inning international tie-breaker to defeat Chinese Taipei, 2-1 on Wednesday.

“If you haven’t been in international baseball before, there are a lot of things to adjust to,” 18U National Team manager, Rob Cooper, said Wednesday afternoon. “There are so many little things to adjust to, and we had the opportunity to work on those things against a quality opponent this week.

Sheffield delivered on the mound for Team USA, carrying a no-hit bid into the fifth inning. The southpaw kept the Chinese Taipei offense off balance all afternoon. The southpaw struck out four while walking two and allowing just the solo single in the fifth inning.

“Justus Sheffield was outstanding,” Cooper commented. “He showed he is the type of guy that we think can be a front line starter for us. He got a big out early in the game and came of the field pumped. When you are wearing this uniform you have to have some emotion and play with the competitive edge.”

Sheffield departed with a runner on first and one out. Chung-Yu Chen delivered a single up the middle off reliever Joe DeMers (Martinez, Calif.) to put runners on the corners before Tzu-Chuan Liu hit a ground ball to the right side to score Min-Hao Chiang and give Chinese Taipei a 1-0 lead.

A quartet of Chinese Taipei pitchers kept the U.S. hitters off balance for the first six innings of the game. In the seventh, down 1-0, Scott Hurst (Glendora, Calif.) worked a walk and was followed up by a single by Lane Thomas (Knoxville, Tenn.). With two outs, Jack Flaherty (Burbank, Calif.) ripped a single into left field to score Hurst and knot the game 1-1.

Alex Destino (Weaverville, N.C.) continued where Sheffield left off, firing two innings of scoreless relief, allowing just one hit while striking out one and not issuing a walk.

The Red, White and Blue lineup continued to apply the pressure in the eighth inning. Trace Loehr (Milwaukie, Ore.) led off with a walk and was sacrificed over by Adam Haseley (Windermere, Fla.) who reached when the throw to second soared into the outfield.

With one out, JJ Schwarz (Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.) lifted a ball to shallow right field. Haseley tagged on the play and was called out on the relay throw home to end the inning and keep the game tied, 1-1.

Luis Ortiz (Sanger, Calif.) came out of the bullpen in the eighth inning and tossed a scoreless frame to send the game into a pre-determined ninth-inning international tie-breaker, tied 1-1.

“From top to bottom our guys pitched extremely well today,” Cooper remarked. “Sheffield, Destino, Gorgas, Ortiz and Joe DeMers are all going to pitch in pivotal moments when we get into the World Cup.”

In the ninth, Team USA elected to place Thomas and Flaherty on second and first with Bryson Brigman (San Jose, Calif.) as the batter. Brigman delivered a well-executed sacrifice bunt, setting up runners in scoring position for Loehr, who sliced the first pitch he saw into center field, giving the U.S. a 2-1 lead. The next hitter, Jakson Reetz (Hickman, Neb.), knocked a fly ball to right and Flaherty dashed home, but the play was appealed and Flaherty was called out for living early.

“It was refreshing to see these guys execute, grind through at bats and shows that we can come from behind and win, that our games are never over until the final out is made. Even in the early innings, players were fouling balls straight back and lining out hard,” said Cooper.

Cooper turned to right-hander Marvin Gorgas (East Hampton, Conn.) in the bottom of the ninth. Gorgas got the first batter to fly out to center, before coaxing a ground ball to first where Flaherty fired home to catch the runner tying to score for the second out.

Gorgas got the final hitter to fly out to center to notch his first save in Red, White and Blue.

“This was an incredible experience for our guys,” Cooper explained. “Chinese Taipei was an extremely gracious host, everything has been first class and we are looking forward to the World Cup here.”

The team will now turn its focus to the 2013 18U Baseball World Cup begins on August 30.