Showing posts tagged “Drew Pomeranz”

Gold rush! Pomeranz gem sparks USA to Classic title

Mike Potter · 26 Jul 2009, 10:47 PM · Comment


pomeranzStart up that classic ’70s song from “Queen.”

USA Baseball’s National Team has won the World Baseball Challenge.

Drew Pomeranz (pictured) of Ole Miss took a no-hitter into the seventh inning, helping his team avenge an earlier defeat in an 8-1 pounding of Germany in the championship game in Prince George, B.C.

After the Germans scratched out a run in the first, the USA dominated the rest of the way.

Blake Forsythe of Tennessee tied the game in the bottom of the second with an RBI single. Then in the third, Rice’s Rick Hague added an RBI single and Texas-Arlington’s Michael Choice a solo homer over the left field fence.

The lead went to 6-1 in the fourth on a two-run double from Florida State’s Tyler Holt. Then in the eighth, Miami’s Yasmani Grandal and Middle Tennessee’s Bryce Brentz added solo homers.

Choice, Grandal, Pomeranz and UCLA’s Gerrit Cole were named to the all-tournament team.  Choice earned the home-run hitting award with three while Hague took the best hitter award with a .474 average.

Team USA finished its season with a 19-5 record, with all five losses to teams from Eurasia.

The next over-18 USA team to play before the public will be the professional World Cup team, which will take on Canada for a three-game series in Cary beginning Sept. 3.

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Cole turns in a gem as USA Baseball reaches championship game

Mike Potter · 25 Jul 2009, 1:16 AM · Comment


usacole1Gerrit Cole (pictured) delivered the goods just when USA Baseball’s National Team needed it.

The big right-hander out of UCLA fired a two-hitter late Friday night, leading his team to a 1-0 victory over Canada and a berth in Sunday’s championship game of the World Baseball Challenge in Prince George, B.C.

The USA, which finished with only three hits of its own, got its run in the bottom of the second. Miami’s Yasmani Grandal hit a two-out single, and then scored on a triple from Arkansas’ Andy Wilkins.

Cole struck out seven, walking one batter and hitting two and never allowing a runner to reach third. He struck out the side in the ninth inning.

Jordan Rawlyk pitched four innings for Canada while Eric Brown fired the last four.

The game was marred by an incident in the eighth inning, when the Canucks’ Nic Lendvoy slid hard into Cal State-Fullerton’s Christian Colon during the shortstop’s successful turn of a 5-6-3 double play. The benches cleared, albeit with no punches thrown, and Team USA declined to participate in a post-game handshake line with Colon still on a stretcher and undergoing treatment.

The title game is Sunday at 7 p.m. (EDT) with Ole Miss’ Drew Pomeranz expected to pitch for the USA in the team’s final game of the season. The other team in the final will be determined Saturday, when Germany and British Columbia square off for the right to play Canada for the title-game berth.

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Grandal leads the way as USA gets back into the win column

Mike Potter · 20 Jul 2009, 9:41 AM · Comment


usagrandYasmani Grandal (pictured) blasted a two-run homer in the sixth, giving USA Baseball’s National Team the lead for good in a 5-2 win over host Canada in the World Baseball Challenge in Prince George, British Columbia.

The win in the opener of the event broke the Americans’ two-game losing streak.

Christian Colon of Cal State-Fullerton gave the USA a lead in the first with his solo homer.

The Canadians took the lead by scratching out two in the bottom of the frame off Ole Miss’ Drew Pomeranz. Kevin Atkinson scored the first run on a sacrifice fly, while Nic Lendovy brought home the second on a fielder’s choice.

The winning rally came with two out in the sixth, when Tennessee’s Blake Forsythe drew a two-out walk and Grandal, a rising junior at Miami, followed with his two-run blast to right.

The USA got insurance runs on a wild pitch in the eighth and an RBI double from Hawaii’s Kolten Wong in the ninth.

Pomeranz (3-1) of picked up the victory, striking out six in six innings. Tulane’s Nick Pepitone collected the save.

Danny Briton-Foster also had a quality start, going six innings for the Canadians.

The USA’s second game in the event is against Germany, tonight at 10 p.m. EDT.

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Unearned runs tie series for Japanese

Mike Potter · 13 Jul 2009, 9:28 AM · Comment


usanewmaSix unearned runs in one inning will do it every time.

Japan rallied for a half-dozen in the third inning, and then held on for a 7-5 victory over USA Baseball’s National Team at the Tokyo Dome to tie the 37th Collegiate Friendship Series at one win apiece.

It’s an annual best-of-5 series, and Game 5 will be played even if somebody sweeps the next two.

Yuki Saito, a national hero in Japan known as “The Handkerchief Prince,” was the winning pitcher while Ole Miss’ Drew Pomeranz (2-1) took the loss.

Arizona State’s Matt Newman (pictured) - who finished 3-for-5 with four RBI - and Arkansas’ Andy Wilkins had RBI singles to give the USA a 2-0 lead in the first.

But the hosts got their six runs in the third after a Pomeranz throwing error. Takanori Sato’s two-run double was the big hit in the frame.

Japan made it 7-2 on a wild pitch from Kansas’ T.J. Walz in the sixth inning.

The Americans responded with three in the seventh on Newman’s bases-clearing double, but could get no closer.

Game 3 is Tuesday at 5 a.m. (EDT) in Sendai, Japan.

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Pitching staff sizzles as USA wins opener

Mike Potter · 12 Jul 2009, 9:34 AM · Comment


usacoleScore one for the Red, White and Blue.

USA Baseball’s National Team got the kind of pitching performance it was looking for, as UCLA’s Gerrit Cole (pictured) struck out nine in seven innings in a 3-0 victory over Japan in the opener of the college squads’ 37th annual Friendship Series in Matsuyama, Japan.

It was the opener of their best-of-5 series, in which all five games are set to be played even if someone clinches early.

Cole allowed just two hits and one walk in his stint before Vanderbilt’s Sonny Gray and Chad Bettis of Texas Tech each fired one inning of relief. Karuhito Futagami took the loss for the Japanese, who had only one runner reach third base.

The USA scored twice in the fourth inning. Florida State’s Tyler Holt singled, and then Christian Colon of Cal State-Fullerton tripled before Arizona State’s Matt Newman followed with a single.

Keiji Nakahara had a seventh-inning triple for the Japanese.

Andy Wilkins of Arkansas hit an RBI single in the ninth to add an insurance run.

Game 2 is Monday at 5 a.m. (EDT) at the Tokyo Dome, with Ole Miss’ Drew Pomeranz on the hill for the USA.

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Pomeranz mows down 17 as the competition doesn’t get any tougher

Mike Potter · 2 Jul 2009, 12:08 AM · Comment


pomeranzGuatemala provided no more competition for the USA National Team than the high schoolers from Canada had - at least in Wednesday night’s series opener.

Ole Miss’ Drew Pomeranz (pictured) broke the National Team strikeout record with 17 in just six innings, leading the Red, White and Blue to a 15-1 victory at Fieldcrest Cannon Stadium in Kannapolis. The old record was 14.

Pomeranz allowed a run on two hits without a walk in team’s 30th straight win including the six in international friendlies this season.

Louisville’s Tony Zych and T.J. Walz of Kansas came on in relief, tying a USA team-record 24 strikeouts in the contest.

Cal State-Fullerton’s Christian Colon led the winners with three hits and four RBI, while Rice’s Rick Hague added three hits and one RBI.

Jorge Gutierrez doubled and scored for the visitors in the fourth inning to cut the lead to 8-1.

The teams will square off in the second of their scheduled four games tonight at 7 at Cary’s Coleman Field, with UCLA’s Gerrit Cole on the hill for the USA.

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USA finishes off a sweep despite a blast from B.C.

Mike Potter · 29 Jun 2009, 10:55 PM · Comment


uschoice1COLEMAN FIELD/CARY It’s the finale of the big five-game series between the USA National (Collegiate) Team and the high school boys from Canada.

Before the game there’s a huge networking event among a couple of dozen Chamber of Commerce organizations, etc. The Carolina Hurricanes and the Durham Bulls and the Carolina Railhawks all have booths, as do numerous well-known local restaurants. At least what serves as the press meal is healthy tonight - until they bring in the leftover chocolate chip cookies and cinnamon bagels.

Bill Coleman, long-time former Cary town manager, throws the ceremonial pitch on a night the stadium is dedicated in his name. It’s a lot friendlier moniker than the “National Training Complex,” huh?

Early in the game Cary Mayor Pro-Tem Julie Aberg Robison comes into the press box and sits for a bit. I can’t resist picking her brain for a little politics. One thing she points out is the need to raise awareness of what a classy complex the town has put together, and she’s absolutely right.

And since apparently I’m the only local keyboard media type covering this game - which the USA wins 9-3 - the problem is pretty apparent.

Anyway, the game gets going in front of a very polite crowd that seems as if it got lost going to a tennis or golf event. Not like DBAP or even Five County. Those wanting beer had to get it at the networking event.

So it gets going and nobody scores in the first. In the second, the USA run machine fires up. The hosts score two in the second on a hit and an error, then two more in the third with the first RBI hit by Michael Choice (pictured) of Texas-Arlington. Continue reading »

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USA opens internationals with easy win over Canadians

Mike Potter · 26 Jun 2009, 12:01 AM · Comment


pomeranzTeam veteran Christian Colon of Cal State-Fullerton led the way with a homer, a double, a single and four RBI as the USA National Team rocked Canada 13-4 in their series opener on Thursday night at the National Training Complex in Cary.

It was a busy day at the NTC, as the 18U Tournament of Stars continued with three games.

In the National Team’s game against Canada, Andy Wilkins of Arkansas added a homer and a single for two RBI for the USA, while Rice’s Rick Hague chipped in a double and a single with an RBI.

Drew Pomeranz of Ole Miss (pictured) was the winning pitcher, striking out 10 against two walks and allowing four hits and one run in four innings.

The Canadians finished with five hits, with Kellin Deglan chipping in a single with two runs scored.

The teams play Game 2 tonight at 7:05 at Durham Bulls Athletic Park.

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