World No. 8 the Netherlands scared the United States, ranked 5th in the world and the U-18 Baseball World Cup's most successful team in this edition, displaying a lot of power in the early innings, but the hosts used their own power to come back and earn their first win. Aidan Miller hit two triples and Bryson Eldridge to break a 3-3 tie in the bottom of the fifth and put the US on route to a 9-3 win.
Shortstop Kendrey Maduro got to US stater Blake Dickerson with a two-run homer in the top of the first. DH Jayde Mohamed hit a solo shot in the top of the second. They would be two of the three hits Dickerson allowed in 4-1 innings.
Aidan Miller showed the way with two triples. Colt Emerson also had a two-hit game. Bryce Eldridge needed only one swing to make an impact. He worked the count full and then drove the sixth pitch Gijs Van den Brink well beyond the left field wall for a grand slam that reversed the course of the game.
Reliever Cameron Tilly pitched earned the win for the US.
USA, the runner's up from the 2019 edition, take on world No. 3 Korea in their next game on Saturday at 19:00 in a repeat of the 2017 final while the Netherlands play South Africa (WR 26) at 15:00.
