Spencer Torkelson (Arizona State) homered, Colton Cowser (Sam Houston State) had three hits and the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team beat Cuba, 4-2, Wednesday at BB&T Ballpark. Team USA holds a 2-0 series lead, one win away from clinching the 8th Annual USA vs. Cuba International Friendship Series for the fifth straight year. <\/p>\n
Torkelson’s opposite field homer in the sixth tied the game 2-2 after Cuba’s Yordanis Samon Matamoros hit his own opposite field two-run homer in the fourth. Samon’s blast was the only offense Cuba would get, as Texas A&M’s Asa Lacy (4.0 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 1 SO), Georgia’s Cole Wilcox (3.0 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 3 SO) and Vanderbilt’s Tyler Brown (2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 3 SO) battled to give Team USA its second straight strong pitching performance. <\/p>\n
Team USA kept swinging in the sixth after Torkelson’s shot and eventually loaded the bases for Casey Opitz (Arkansas). Opitz turned in a quality nine-pitch at-bat to draw a bases-loaded walk and give USA a 3-2 lead. Team USA added another run in the seventh on a sacrifice fly from Torkelson for the final 4-2 tally.<\/p>\n
Three Collegiate National Team starters had multiple hits, led by Cowser’s three singles. Luke Waddell (Georgia Tech) had two hits, including a double, and Tanner Allen (Mississippi State) singled twice for his second straight multi-hit game. <\/p>\n
Wilcox earned the win and Brown picked up the save in his first live outing for the red, white and blue. <\/p>\n
The Collegiate National Team continues the 8th Annual USA vs. Cuba International Friendship Series at 6:05 p.m. ET on Thursday at Durham Bulls Athletic Park in Durham, North Carolina.<\/p>\n