Showing posts tagged “Sonny Gray”
Mike Potter ·
23 Jul 2009, 1:49 AM ·
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Rice’s Rick Hague (pictured) went 3-for-4 with a homer Wednesday night, leading USA Baseball’s National Team to a 10-2 romp over the host Prince George Axemen at the World Baseball Challenge in British Columbia.
Team USA improved to 3-1 in round-robin play and into a three-way tie for first place, while the Axemen fell to 2-2.
The Axemen took the lead in the first inning on Darrin Doucette’s double, but the Americans responded with four runs in the fourth. The big blows in that inning were a solo homer from Texas-Arlington’s Michael Choice and a two-run shot from veteran Christian Colon of Cal State-Fullerton.
Hague homered to lead off the fifth, and the Americans added another run in the fifth and two in the sixth to put the game away.
Vanderbilt’s Sonny Gray struck out five and allowed the one run in seven innings on the hill. Tom Nielsen went five innings in the loss.
The USA plays its final round-robin game today at 6 p.m. (EDT) against Team BC, which is also tied for first. Coastal Carolina’s Cody Wheeler is the scheduled starter for the USA.
The elimination round begins Saturday with the title game on Sunday at 7 p.m. (EDT).
Baseball, USA Baseball British Columbia, Cal State-Fullerton, Canada, Christian Colon, Coastal Carolina, Cody Wheeler, Darrin Doucette, Michael Choice, Prince George Axemen, Rice Owls, Rick Hague, Sonny Gray, Texas-Arlington, Tom Nielsen, Vanderbilt, World Baseball Challenge
Mike Potter ·
22 Jul 2009, 1:16 AM ·
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Team USA bounced back Tuesday night.
The Citadel’s Asher Wojciechowski struck out nine in seven innings and Arizona State’s Matt Newman (pictured) stole home as USA Baseball’s National Team walloped the Bahamas 8-1 in the World Baseball Challenge in Prince George, British Columbia.
The win, which improved the Americans to 2-1 in the event, came one day after they had dropped a 6-3 loss to Germany.
Desmond Russell pitched a complete game for the Bahamians, giving up rallies to the USA both early and late. Hawaii’s Kolten Wong hit an RBI double in the first and then Newman (Arizona State) stole home in the second for a 2-0 lead.
The Bahamians scored their run in the third on a Raymond Grant single.
The USA scored twice in the sixth on a ground out and a wild pitch, then had the knockout rally with four in the second on sacrifice flies from Tennessee’s Blake Forsythe and Rice’s Rick Hague before Florida State’s Tyler Holt ripped an RBI double.
Team USA’s next game is on Wednesday night at 10 p.m. (EDT) against the host Prince George Axemen, with Vanderbilt’s Sonny Gray getting the start.
ACC, Baseball, USA Baseball Arizona State, Asher Wojciechowski, Blake Forsythe, Desmond Russell, Florida State, Germany, Hawaii Rainbow Warriors, Kolten Wong, Matt Newman, Prince George Axemen, Raymond Grant, Rice Owls, Rick Hague, Sonny Gray, Tennessee Volunteers, The Bahamas, The Citadel, Tyler Holt, Vanderbilt
Mike Potter ·
16 Jul 2009, 5:22 PM ·
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It all ended in an extra-inning heartbreaker.
USA Baseball’s National Team came within a whisker of knocking off homestanding Japan in their 37th annual Collegiate Friendship Series, but a pair of errors in the 11th inning spelled doom in an 8-7 loss at Jingu Stadium in the deciding Game 5.
Vanderbilt’s Sonny Gray made an errant pickoff attempt to move Shota Kioke to third base with two outs. And then the team’s only returning player from last season, Cal State-Fullerton’s Christian Colon, kicked a ground ball at short to give the Japanese the victory.
The Americans seemed to have the game in hand through 8 ½ innings after scoring three times in the top of the ninth for a 7-4 lead. After Tomoyuki Sugano misplayed a sacrifice bunt to score Hawaii’s Kolten Wong (pictured), Clemson’s Brad Miller added insurance with a single to right and Florida State’s Tyler Holt followed with a sacrifice fly.
But Japan answered with three runs in the bottom of the frame off Texas Tech’s Chad Bettis. Masayoshi Kato hit a two-run triple to chase Bettis before Keiji Nakahara greeted Gray (2-1) with a single to right center.
Yusuke Nomura (1-0) got the win for Japan.
Rice’s Rick Hague led the USA with a homer and a single.
Team USA will travel to Prince George, British Columbia, for the Enbridge Northern Gateway World Baseball Challenge beginning Sunday at 10 p.m. (EDT) against Canada.
ACC, Baseball, USA Baseball Brad Miller, Cal State-Fullerton, Canada, Chad Bettis, Christian Colon, Clemson, Florida State, Hawaii Rainbow Warriors, Japan, Jingu Stadium, Keiji Nakahara, Kolten Wong, Masayoshi Kato, Rice Owls, Rick Hague, Shota Kioke, Sonny Gray, Texas Tech, Tomoyuki Sugano, Tyler Holt, Vanderbilt, Yusuke Nomura
Mike Potter ·
14 Jul 2009, 10:05 AM ·
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A three-run homer in the fourth inning from Christian Colon (pictured) of Cal State-Fullerton provided the big blow as USA Baseball’s National Team blew past Japan 8-4, giving the Americans a 2 games to 1 lead in their 37th annual best-of-5 Collegiate Friendship Series.
Vanderbilt’s Sonny Gray (2-0) pitched 5 1/3 innings of scoreless relief to hold down the Japanese, who scored three times in the first inning to delight the partisan crowd in Sendai. Takahiro Araki had an RBI triple and Masayoshi Kato a two-run triple in Japan’s big rally.
Team USA scored four runs in the second to take the lead for good. After Tennessee’s Blake Forsythe hit an RBI single to being in Yasmani Grandal of Miami, Florida State’s Tyler Holt, Clemson’s Brad Miller and Colon followed with RBI singles.
After Colon’s game-deciding heroics, Keiji Nakahara homered for the Japanese in the bottom of the frame.
Yusuke Nomura took the loss.
Game 4 is Wednesday at 5 a.m. (EDT) in Tsuruoka.
Baseball, USA Baseball Add new tag, Blake Forsythe, Brad Miller, Cal State-Fullerton, Christian Colon, Clemson, Florida State, Japan, Keiji Nakahara, Masayoshi Kato, Miami Hurricanes, Sendai, Sonny Gray, Takahiro Araki, Tennessee Volunteers, Tsuroka, Tyler Holt, Vanderbilt, Yasmani Grandal, Yusuke Nomura
Mike Potter ·
12 Jul 2009, 9:34 AM ·
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Score 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.
ACC, Baseball, USA Baseball Arizona State, Arkansas Razorbacks, Cal State-Fullerton, Chad Bettis, Christian Colon, Drew Pomeranz, Florida State, Gerrit Cole, Japan, Karuhito Futagami, Keiji Nakahare, Matsuyama, Matt Newman, Mississippi Rebels, Ole Miss, Sonny Gray, Texas Tech, Tokyo Dome, Tyler Holt, UCLA, Vanderbilt
Mike Potter ·
5 Jul 2009, 12:58 AM ·
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At least it’s over.
USA Baseball’s National Team finished a four-game sweep of Guatemala on Saturday night with an 18-1 victory that wasn’t a bit out of context.
Arkansas’ Andy Wilkins (pictured) hit a 435-foot grand slam while Sonny Gray of Vanderbilt was the winning pitcher as the home team rocked the Quetzals for a fourth straight night in front of a full house at Durham Bulls Athletic Park on the city’s traditional July 4 fireworks night. Team USA players all wore No. 4 jerseys saluting Lou Gehrig on a night Major League Baseball used to promote awareness of ALS.
While Wilkins’ slam in the fifth inning was certainly a big hit and an exciting hit, it certainly wasn’t a key hit.
In the National Team’s four wins over Guatemala in Kannapolis, Cary and Durham, the USA scored a total of 61 runs to the visitors’ two. That score would make for a very, very miserable football game. Continue reading »
Baseball, Durham Bulls, USA Baseball Al Yevoli, ALS, Andy Wilkins, Arkansas Razorbacks, Cary, Chinese Taipei, Coastal Carolina, Cody Wheeler, Cuba, Eastern League, embargo, Guatemala, High Point Panthers, Japan, Kannapolis, Lou Gehrig, Major League Baseball, Manchester, Manuel Hernandez, Marlon Claveria, NECBL, New Hampshire Fisher Cats, Portland Sea Dogs, Republic of China, Rick Jones, Sonny Gray, South Korea, Taiwan, Tulane, Vanderbilt, World Baseball Classic
Mike Potter ·
3 Jul 2009, 10:28 PM ·
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COLEMAN FIELD/CARY It’s Game 3 of what has so far been a very lopsided series between the USA National Team and Guatemala.
In Game 1 on Wednesday night in Kannapolis the USA pitching staff combined for 24 strikeouts and then on Thursday night on this field the staff combined for the first official no-hitter in team history.
The crowd is a little bigger on a very pleasantly warm evening at the National Training Complex, perhaps drawn in by the post-game fireworks. And maybe there will be some during the game, too.
The USA is in camo uniforms tonight to celebrate the Independence Day weekend.
To review, this Guatemalan team has a massively wide age range. Infielder Jorge Gutierrez, who came into the game with the Quetzals’ only two hits of the series and isn’t in the starting lineup, is 42 while center fielder Manuel Hernandez is 16.
And once again, I’m the only one in the house representing local media - or in fact any general-circulation publication not specializing in baseball. Baseball America is also on site.
The Americans are batting in the top of the first inning, and it quickly becomes obvious this is like the movie “Groundhog Day” for the overmatched Guatemalans, who are on the way to an 18-0 loss that’s stopped after seven innings. UCLA’s Trevor Bauer (pictured) gets the win. Continue reading »
Baseball, Durham Bulls, USA Baseball Al Yevoli, Baseball America, Bryce Brentz, Cal State-Fullerton, Cary, Christian Colon, Groundhog Day, High Point Panthers, Jorge Gutierrez, Kannapolis, Manuel Hernandez, Mario Cruz, Marlon Claveria, Michael Choice, Middle Tennessee, Rick Jones, San Diego Padres, Sonny Gray, Texas-Arlington, Trevor Bauer, Tulane, UCLA, Vanderbilt
