Posted: 7/6/2008
USA Men continue to struggle at 3 Nations Challenge
SASKATOON, Saskatchewan — The USA Softball Men’s National team will conclude play today in the 3 Nations Challenge after the Americans finished pool play at 0-4. The U.S. will battle Japan for its third time in as many days looking to muster its first win of thetournament. The game will begin at 1 p.m. MST with the winner moving on to play Canada at 3:30 p.m. MST for the championship title.
The Japanese finished 3-1 while Canada finished at 3-1 and earned the No. 1 seed with a Saturday evening 9-2 win over Japan.
See below for recaps from Friday and Saturday.
Saturday, July 5 – Japan 13 USA 6
Team USA closed the pool play portion of the 3 Nations Challenge, with a loss to Japan on Saturday night, 13-6 in five innings. Team USA pitching struggled with the powerful Japanese bats giving up four home runs. The Japanese have hit seven home runs in twelve innings against Team USA in this tournament. The U.S. grabbed its first lead of the tournament in the top of the first when Kyle Magnusson (Salt Lake City, Utah) hit a solo home run.
The lead moved to 2-0 in the top of the second when Eddie Ketelhut (Canton, Mich.) got on base on a Japanese error, and stole second base. He then scored on a Bryan Hansen (Denmark, Wis.) single.
The Japanese responded with nine runs in the bottom of the inning off American starter Paul Algar (Lexington, Ill.) and reliever Sean Kelly (Homer, Mich.). Algar went one and a third inning giving up eight runs (five earned) while walking four. Kelly relieved going one and two thirds of an inning giving up four earned runs. Travis Price (Corona, Calif.) closed out the game going one and a third inning allowing one run.
Magnusson led the American hitters going 2-for-3. Chase Turner (Stockton, Calif.) went 1-for-3 and Steve Pinocchio (Merced, Calif.) went 1-for-1 hitting a pinch hit grand slam in a four-run fourth inning for the Americans. Takuto Tsutsui hit two home runs for the Japanese, while Youhei Ono went 1-2 with a grand slam in the second inning.
USA 110 40 6 6 0
Japan 090 31 13 10 3
Winning Pitcher: Kunihiko Iida Losing Pitcher: Paul Algar
Friday, July 4 – Canada 9 USA 5
The USA Men’s National Team continued to struggle to find a break in a tough luck loss to Canada on Independence Day in Saskatoon, SK. The Canadians beat the Americans 9-5 before 1,231 fans at Bob Van Impe Stadium. The Americans continued to hit well, out hitting the Canadians nine to five, but left five runners stranded while playing the Canadians close through five innings.
Starter Gerald Pyle (Simi Valley, Calif.) went four and one third innings giving up three hits andtwo earned runs. Cody Thomson (Herriman, Utah) relieved for Team USA going an inning and two thirds. Canada’s Trevior Either was the winning pitcher throwing four innings and was relieved by Frank Cox.
The Canadians opened up a three-run lead in the first, scoring three runs, two of which were unearned. The Americans began their scoring in the third inning with three runs, all with two outs. A Nate Devine (Merced, Calif.) double scored Chase Turner (Stockton, Calif.) for Team USA’s first run, and then Devine scored when Frank DeGroat, Jr. (Ringwood, N.J.) hit a long home run to right field. The Americans scored a single run in the sixth when Kyle Magnusson (Salt Lake City, Utah) led off the inning with a single and then scored on a Matt Palazzo (Pleasant Hill, Iowa) double. Nate Devine (Merced, Calif.) closed out the American scoring in the seventh with a towering home run estimated at over 370 feet that drew a loud ovation from the Canadian crowd.
USA 003 001 1 5 9 2
Canada 310 032 x 9 5 1
Winning Pitcher: Trevior Either Losing Pitcher: Gerald Pyle
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