PLAYA DEL CARMEN, Mex — The 15U National baseball team, based out of Cary, scored three runs on five hits to defeat Mexico, 3-1, and finish pool play with a perfect 5-0 record at the 2019 World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) U-15 Baseball World Cup Americas Qualifier on Tuesday.
Team USA will compete as the No. 1 seed out of Group A in the Super Round that begins on Thursday.
The game was a defensive battle as Team USA stranded 12 Mexico base runners, including bases-loaded situations in the third, fourth and fifth innings. On the offensive side, five U.S. batters collected hits, including one RBI-double off the bat of Dylan Lina (Carson, Calif.) that put Team USA on the board in the third inning.
Matthew Matthijs (Greenville, N.C.) started for the red, white and blue on the bump and put together 3.1 scoreless innings of work, surrendering just three hits with one punchout to earn the win. Ethan McElvain (Thompson’s Station, Tenn.) and Luis Rodriguez (Long Beach, Calif.) came on in relief, combining to give up one run and tossing four strikeouts in the contest.
Key Moments
Team USA broke through in the top of the third inning when a Dylan Lina two-RBI double to center-field put the team up 2-0.
A passed balled allowed Termarr Johnson (Atlanta, Ga.) to score after he singled to get on base earlier in the fifth inning, extending the U.S. lead to 3-0.
Mexico used a walk, an error and a passed ball to move a runner around and score in the bottom of the fifth inning for the final score of 3-1.
Notable
Team USA finished pool play undefeated and will compete in the Super Round as the No. 1 seed from Group A.
Matthew Matthijs (1-0) earned the win after he tossed 3.1 scoreless innings to start the game.
Termarr Johnson led the team through pool play action, hitting .500 (5-for-10) with a double, a triple and five stolen bases.
Up Next
The 15U National team will begin Super Round action as the No. 1 seed from Group A on Thursday, September 19 at 1 p.m. CT. Team USA’s opponents will be determined on Tuesday evening after pool play has been completed.