Team USA Posts Third Straight One-Run Win Against Cuba, Series Continues Monday
July 22, 2013 | Baseball
OMAHA, Neb. --- The USA Collegiate National Team blanked Cuba, 1-0, Saturday to win its third straight one-run contest against the Cubans. Team USA defeated Cuba 3-2 and 2-1 last week.
Four USA pitchers held Cuba to four hits and did not allow a runner to advance past first base. The offense scored its lone run in the fourth on a sacrifice fly from Michael Conforto (Oregon State).
Taylor Sparks had one hit in the series against Cuba and is hitting .383 with 18 hits and nine RBI. He is 5 for 5 in stolen bases to go along with 11 runs scored.
USA takes a 3-0 lead against Cuba and the series moves to North Carolina where the teams will play the final two games. UNLV's Erick Fedde will start game four Monday night at the National Training Complex in Cary. First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m. (ET).
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In other summer ball news, the Chatham Anglers are currently 23-9 and in first place in the Eastern Division of the Cape Cod League. Right-hander Mitch Merten owns a 0.73 ERA for the Anglers, striking out 14 in 12.1 innings. Merten has allowed one run on seven hits and is 1-0. Lefty Jimmy Litchfield is also pitching for Chatham and has fanned 10 in 12.1 innings of work. He has allowed seven earned runs on the season.
Mikey Duarte tops the Hannibal Cavemen in the Prospect League with a .302 batting average. Duarte has driven in eight runs on 19 hits, including five doubles and a triple. Ryan Cooper is batting .230 for the Cavemen and has driven in 13 runs on 17 hits. Cooper has scored nine runs to go along with a double and five triples. Pitcher Brett Barker has seen action in two games and scattered four hits over four innings for the Cavemen, who are currently in fourth place with a 20-22 mark.
Four Anteaters are playing for the Walla Walla Sweets, who are tied for first in the North Division of the West Coast League. Renae Martinez tops the quartet with a .316 average and has eight RBI on 25 hits. The catcher has scored 10 runs in 21 games and belted two doubles. Josh Bornstein has pitched in two games and has struck out one and given up a run in 3.1 innings of work. Jonathan Herkins is batting .231 with six hits and seven runs scored while Kris Paulino has driven 16 runs on 14 hits, including a pair of doubles.
Tied for first with the Walla Walla Sweets are the Wenatchee Apple Sox (22-17). Connor Spencer leads the starters with a .372 average and has 24 runs batted in on 42 hits. Spencer also has logged nine doubles and a home run while scoring 21 runs in 31 games played. Grant Palmer is also seeing significant time and has recorded nine RBI on 30 hits and scored 16 runs.
Rounding out action in the West Coast League are Chris Rabago and Elliot Surrey, who are playing for the Corvallis Knights. Rabago is batting .247 with 12 runs batted in on 21 hits. The shortstop has scored 13 runs and totaled three doubles, a triple and a home run. Surrey has made seven appearances, including three starts, tossing 26.2 innings and striking out 19. He is 3-1 on the year with a 1.68 ERA and has held the opposition to five earned runs to go along with a save.
Justin Castro, playing with Neptune Beach in the Far West League, is batting .313 with 10 RBI. In 20 games Castro has scored 10 runs on 21 hits, including five doubles.
Sam Moore is spending the summer in the Alaska League with the Kenai Peninsula Oilers and has pitched 31.2 innings. Making six starts, Moore is 1-1 with a 3.12 ER and has allowed 11 earned runs on 33 hits while fanning 15.
Catcher Jerry McClanahan has playing with the Santa Barbara Foresters, who are 20-12 and in first place in the California Collegiate League. McClanahan has driven in 10 runs on 13 hits and scored 13 runs on 23 games played.
Jonathan Munoz is batting .330 for the So Cal Catch in the California Collegiate League. Munoz has 11 runs batted in on 32 hits while scoring 14 runs. He has five doubles and a triple in 27 games played.
