Showing posts tagged “Cory Luebke”

USA Baseball rips Cubans again, repeats World Cup championship

Mike Potter · 27 Sep 2009, 3:39 PM · Comment


Maybe the Cuban baseball dynasty is beginning to crumble a little bit.

Lucas May blasted a three-run, second-inning homer and Team USA poured on six more runs in the seventh, topping the Cubans 10-5 to win the IBAF World Cup in Nettuno, Italy.

It was the 14th straight win for the Red, White and Blue, which had also beaten the Cubans on Thursday and lost just one of its 19 games after the group of top-level minor leaguers was assembled for the first time earlier this month.

The USA was the defending champion of the tournament, also defeating the Cubans in 2007. Team USA has won the World Cup four times, including its other back-to-back titles in 1973-74.

Tournament MVP Justin Smoak, former Durham Bull Jon Weber (pictured), Terry Tiffee and May all had RBI singles in the seventh-inning spree. Weber and Tiffee joined Smoak on the all-tournament team.

Brad Lincoln was the winning pitcher in relief of Cory Luebke.

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Plouffe walk-off gives USA Baseball No. 1 seed in group

Mike Potter · 21 Sep 2009, 8:01 PM · Comment


usaploufTrevor Plouffe’s walk-off homer made the difference as Team USA beat Australia 4-3 in the IBAF World Cup in Bologna, Italy, clinching the top seed in Group G for the Final Round.

After the Aussies took a 1-0 lead, Justin Smoak extended his team record with his ninth homer of the tournament to tie the game in the sixth. Former Durham Bull Jon Weber gave the Red, White and Blue the lead with an RBI grounder later in the inning.

Australia scored twice in the seventh, but Plouffe (pictured) tied the score again with an RBI grounder in the bottom of the frame to make it 3-3.

His two out homer to left in the ninth then ended the game.

Cory Luebke had a six-inning quality start in the no-decision. Former Durham Bull Jason Childers then added two innings of scoreless relief, striking out three, before Ehren Wasserman got the win in his first decision of the tournament.

The USA will take on Venezuela today at 2 p.m. (EDT) in Firenze, Italy. Venezuela defeated Team USA in its first game of the tournament, 13-9 in an extra-inning tiebreaker.

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Smoak, Team USA blast host Italians at World Cup

Mike Potter · 20 Sep 2009, 10:59 PM · Comment


usasmoak2Justin Smoak’s two homers set a Team USA tournament record while every player in the lineup hit safely in a 12-3 rout over host Italy in the IBAF World Cup in Turin.

Smoak (pictured) had a three-run homer in the first inning and a solo shot in the fifth for the defending champion Red, White and Blue, who have already qualified for the eight-team Final.

Buck Coats and Trevor Plouffe also homered for the Americans.

Lucas Harrell (2-0) got he victory in relief of Kasey Kiker, while former Durham Bull Cedrick Bowers and B.J. Rosenberg were also in hitless relief.

Plouffe went 3-for-6, extending his hitting streak to eight games.

Team USA will close out second-round play against Australia on Monday at 11 a.m. (EDT) in Bologna. Cory Luebke (1-0) is the scheduled starter.

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Luebke, Weber help lead Team USA to blanking of Canucks

Mike Potter · 13 Sep 2009, 9:34 PM · Comment


bullwebe1Cory Luebke pitched a gem for Team USA, which ripped Canada 8-0 in its first game of Round 2 in baseball’s World Cup in Reggio Emilia, Italy.

Luebke allowed just one hit in 7 2/3 innings to lead his team to a fifth straight win over the Canadians.

Former Durham Bull Jon Weber (pictured) had two RBI doubles and an RBI single, while Terry Tiffee also had three hits and two RBI.

Pedro Alvarez added a home run for the Americans.

Chris Robinson had the only hit for Canada.

Team USA’s next game is on Monday at 2 p.m. (EDT) against the Netherlands Antilles in Verona, Italy.

Kasey Kiker is the probable starter for the Red, White and Blue.

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USA Baseball completes sweep of Canucks, readies for European vacation

Mike Potter · 6 Sep 2009, 8:51 PM · Comment


usatiffeCOLEMAN FIELD/CARY It’s the finale of the four-game Canada at USA exhibition series preparing for baseball’s World Cup, and today the U.S. team will go for the sweep.

Team USA is batting in the top of the inning each time. And the ninth inning is going to be different no matter what as it’s going to be played under international tiebreaker rules.

There’s an active crowd on hand, as the National Training Complex is also the site this weekend of the Labor Day Cup involving 16 high level youth teams.

Canada is wearing some very odd jerseys. The national red is the primary color, but the letters and numbers are also in the identical color and lightly outlined in black. So it’s anyone’s guess as to who is who.

The USA gets off to a big start in the first off big right-hander Matt Kniginyzky, but doesn’t get as much out of the rally as it should. It all turns out well in the end, though, as the USA wins 11-2.

Buck Coats and Trevor Plouffe lead off with back-to-back doubles, followed by a walk to Justin Smoak and a Terry Tiffee (pictured) single to center that sends Plouffe to third. But Josh Kroeger’s one-out grounder to second provides the only other RBI for a 2-0 lead. Continue reading »

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USA, Childers hold on for third straight win over Canucks

Mike Potter · 6 Sep 2009, 3:16 AM · Comment


bullchil1Todd Redmond pitched five perfect innings and his teammates held on as Team USA took a 6-5 exhibition victory over Canada on Saturday at Cary’s Coleman Field.

The teams are preparing for the World Cup, to be held in The Netherlands, Italy and Germany later this month.

Terry Tiffee went 2-for-4 with two RBI to lead the U.S. offense.

The Red, White and Blue took a 3-0 lead off Chris Begg in the first on RBI from Justin Smoak, Tiffee and Pedro Alvarez.

Lucas May added a homer in the second for a 4-0 lead, which went to 6-0 on RBI singles from Tiffee and Josh Kroeger in the third.

Canada rallied for five runs before former Durham Bull Jason Childers  (pictured) came on for a shutout ninth and his first save of the series.

The USA will go for a four-game sweep of the series today at 5 p.m. with Cory Luebke on the hill.

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