California squad faces world’s best without injured pitcher Lucas Mata
The # 6 ranked California A’s won again on Thursday, notching their third consecutive win, and fourth overall, at the 2013 ISC World Tournament at Quad Cities Iowa, with a 10-4 win over the #9 ranked Minnesota Angels, beating Australia’s Andrew Blackshaw.
The talented California squad boasts a line-up stocked with National team players, but lost their ace, Argentine pitcher Lucas Mata to a shoulder injury in their second game. Pitcher/player Derek Mayson has stepped up in his absence, and gone the distance in all three games the A’s have won since dropping their second game of the tournament to Circle Tap.
On Thursday, the A’s offense fired on all cylinders, scoring ten runs, including 4 in the first. Veterans Kevin Schellenberg, Nate Devine and Josh Johnson each drove in two runs to power the way, while Derek Mayson struck out 10, surrendering 3 earned runs for the win. Schellenberg was 3 for 4 on the day, scoring two runs in addition to the two he drove in, while four others had a multiple hit game, Nukunuku, Palazzo, Devine and Villanueva. Click here for the box score and play-by-play
The A’s win Thursday earned them a spot in the Elite Eight of the world’s best teams, as the 8 day tournament winds towards its conclusion on Saturday. To get to Saturday’s hallowed ground, the A’s will need two wins on Friday. Their next contest is at 12 noon (CT) against the #8 ranked team, the Kegel Black Knights of North Dakota. The winner of that game will face the #2 ranked Jarvis Hallman Twins, who lost their first game of the tournament last night, to Hill United (Six Nations), in a winner’s bracket semi.
The 12 noon game between the Cal A’s and Kegel Black Knights will be broadcast on the ISC Network, in live audio.
Click here to listen to the game.
Schedule of Games – Friday, August 16, 2013
12:00 pm
Game 87
D-5
W-81 Bakersfield CA California A’s
W-82 Fargo ND Kegel Black Knights2:00 pm
Game 88
D-5
W-83 Bloomington IL Bloomington Styx
W-84 Scarborough ON Scarborough Force4:00 pm
Game 89
D-5
W-87
L-86 Jarvis ON Hallman Twins6:00 pm
Game 90
D-5
L-85 Harrisburg PA Pennsylvania Power
W-88Winner’s Bracket Final
8:00 pm
Game 91
D-5
W-85 Clifton Park NY New York Gremlins
W-86 Six Nations ON Hill United Chiefs