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Team USA dazzles Guatemala
Photo by James Nix
Team USA short stop Christian Colon fields a ball against Team Guatemala Wednesday night.
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Published: July 2, 2009
KANNAPOLIS - Team USA brought its college star power to Fieldcrest Cannon Stadium and dominated a Guatemala national team plagued by errors.
Pitcher Drew Pomeranz delivered an impressive performance to lead led the way for the strong-hitting, strong-running, strong-fielding Team USA squad, which cruised to a 15-1 victory on Wednesday night.
Pomeranz, a lefthander, set a team record with 17 strikeouts — with no walks — in seven innings or work.
Team USA took control in the first inning, scoring twice, when a Guatemala error allowed third baseman Ryan Hague to score on first baseman Andy Wilkins' fielders choice and shortstop Christian Colon forced a balk to get a free run home.
For the team of young college players, it was an impressive opening act that allowed Team USA to shine against the struggles of the Guatemalans.
Team USA consists of non-draft-eligible college players, usually freshmen and sophomore players from the big baseball schools around the country.
The exhibition game gave local baseball fans a chance to see some diamond action before the July Fourth holiday, when the Kannapolis Intimidators return to the Cannon to face the Delmarva Shorebirds.
Second baseman Kolten Wong showed off his speed in the second inning by reaching first base on a passed ball, then stealing second off Guatemala pitcher Christian Fernandez.
Wong, a utility player from University of Hawaii, exemplified Team USA's baserunning prowess that often times left Guatemala pitchers and infielders holding the ball.
After Fernandez let Wong score another run off a hit to left field, Guatemala manager Carlos Guzman took Fernandez off the mound and pitcher Erick Acosta took over. But that wasn't the end of Guatemala's troubles in the second.
Team USA's bats would not be silenced through the third and fourth innings, taking the score up to 8-0, while Pomeranz kept Guatemala's bats quiet up to fourth inning, when Guatemala shortstop Jorge Gutierrez broke his team's offensive drought with a line-drive double down the first base line to lead off the bottom half.
Third baseman Juan Dieguez brought Gutierrez in to put Guatemala on the board, 8-1.
But Pomeranz held Guatemala to one run and one hit to get out of the jam.
Pomeranz, a standout at the University of Mississippi, led the Rebels' pitching staff with a 3.40 ERA and was named to the Southeastern Conference's All-Freshman Team. He had 16 strikeouts in leading the Rebels past Western Kentucky and into the Super Regionals earlier this year.
Pomeranz left in the seventh inning. His 17 strikeouts bested the previous record of 14 set by B.J. Wallace and Jason Jennings.
Tony Zych replaced Pomeranz, striking out five batters to close the game out.
Meanwhile, all through the game, Guatemala's pitching troubles continued.
In the top of the third, Guatemala's Acosta couldn't hold back the Team USA sluggers as they rolled up the score in the third and fourth innings. That forced Guatemala manager Guzman to replace Acosta on the mound with Raul Guzman.
As if Team USA wasn't already dominating, they brought the hammer down on Raul Guzman in the fifth, scoring four runs to up its advantage to 12-1.
Again, Guatemala changed pitchers for a third time, with Gustavo Rehwoldt replacing Guzman. Rehwoldt got Wong to pop out to end the fiery inning.
And then it was another three-up, three-down inning for Pomeranz to take Team USA into the sixth inning, where Guatemala went down in order with three pop-fly outs.
The sixth and seventh innings were defensive battles, with Guatemala and Team USA quickly striking each other out. But the eighth inning brought out Team USA's bats again, as they scored three runs to set the final score.
Team USA committed a rare error, as shortstop Colon dropped a pop-up by Guatemala right fielder Alvaro Paz in the bottom of the eighth, but Guatemala could not capitalize on the slip-up.
Team USA plays Guatemala again on Saturday at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park in Durham.
Contact Web reporter Ben McNeely: 704-789-9131
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