LA PAMPA, Argentina (Box Score) – The U.S. U-23 Men’s National Team rode a dominant pitching performance and a decisive fourth-inning rally to secure a 3-0 victory over Venezuela today, improving to 2-1 in the Pan American Championship.
The Eagles finished the game with three runs, two hits and zero errors with their three runs being the most of the tournament for Team USA so far. USA’s defense only allowed two hits and zero runs.
GAME LEADERS
Pitcher Marco Diaz was nearly untouchable across all seven innings, only allowing two hits – striking out 11 Venezuelan batters. He faced 24 total hitters, finishing the game on 89 pitches with 62 total strikes.USA’s two hits came from Alex Bodnar (1-for-2, 2 RBI, 1 BB) and Parker Hopkins (1-for-3, RBI double), bringing in Braden DuCharme, Cody Gibbons and Bodnar (pinch runner) for the three runs.
GAME BREAKDOWN
Scoreless after the first inning, Venezuela challenged the Eagles in the top of the second, hitting back-to-back singles with two outs on the board. Diaz didn’t falter though, striking out the final batter of the inning to keep the scoreboard clean.Two more innings passed with both pitchers battling for their teams to stay in the game, setting up Team USA for an explosive fourth inning. With two outs on the board, Bodnar came to the plate and drilled a ground ball to right field, allowing both DuCharme and Gibbons to score and put the Eagles in the lead.
It was then Hopkins’ turn, blasting a double on a line drive that would send Bodnar across home plate for USA’s third run of the game.
Heading into the final three innings, the defense stepped up to seal the victory. Diaz threw five more strikeouts along with Gibbons and Jacob Hartranft putting in clutch performances at first base and right field, respectively.
UP NEXT
Team USA will look to keep the momentum going when they face Peru tomorrow (Tuesday, Sept. 16) at 8:30 a.m. CT/10:30 a.m. ART. Fans can follow along with the action at this link.
Game Changer and Streaming Schedule
| Date | Time (Local Time / CT) | Opponent | Live Stats | Streaming |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday, Sept. 13 | 4:30 p.m. ART / 2:30 p.m. CT | vs Dominican Republic | Live Stats | Streaming |
| Sunday, Sept. 14 | 10:30 a.m. ART / 8:30 a.m. CT | vs Mexico | Live Stats | Streaming |
| Monday, Sept. 15 | 1:30 p.m. ART / 11:30 a.m. CT | vs Venezuela | Live Stats | Streaming |
| Tuesday, Sept. 16 | 10:30 a.m. ART / 8:30 a.m. CT | vs Peru | Live Stats | Streaming |
| Wednesday, Sept. 17 | 7:30 p.m. ART / 6:30 p.m. CT | vs Argentina | Live Stats | Streaming |
| Thursday, Sept. 18 | 4:30 p.m. ART / 2:30 p.m. CT | vs Canada | Live Stats | Streaming |
| Friday, Sept. 19 | 10:30 a.m. ART / 8:30 a.m. CT | vs Guatemala | Live Stats | Streaming |
| Saturday, Sept. 20 | 2 p.m. ART / 12 p.m. CT | Bronze Medal Game | TBD |
| 5 p.m. ART / 3 p.m. CT | Gold Medal Game | TBD |
Follow the U.S. U-23 Men’s National Team on GameChanger for live stats and game updates.
The countries that will compete for the Pan American title are:
- Canada
- Venezuela
- United States
- Dominican Republic
- Peru
- Guatemala
- Mexico
Day 1 – September 13
- 11:00: Venezuela vs. Peru
- 13:30: Mexico vs. Canada
- 16:00: United States vs. Dominican Republic
- 18:30: Opening Ceremony
- 19:00: Argentina vs. Guatemala
Day 2 – September 14
- 11:00: Mexico vs. United States
- 13:30: Guatemala vs. Canada
- 16:00: Dominican Republic vs. Peru
- 19:00: Argentina vs. Venezuela
Day 3 – September 15
- 11:00: Guatemala vs. Mexico
- 13:30: Canada vs. Peru
- 16:00: Venezuela vs. Dominican Republic
- 19:00: United States vs. Argentina
Day 4 – September 16
- 11:00: Peru vs. United States
- 13:30: Guatemala vs. Venezuela
- 16:00: Mexico vs. Canada
- 19:00: Dominican Republic vs. Argentina
Day 5 – September 17
- 11:00: Peru vs. Guatemala
- 13:30: Venezuela vs. Mexico
- 16:00: Dominican Republic vs. Canada
- 19:00: United States vs. Argentina
Day 6 – September 18
- 11:00: Dominican Republic vs. United States
- 13:30: Peru vs. Mexico
- 16:00: Argentina vs. Canada
- 19:00: Venezuela vs. Guatemala
Day 7 – September 19
- 11:00: Guatemala vs. United States
- 13:30: Dominican Republic vs. Peru
- 16:00: Argentina vs. Venezuela
- 19:00: Mexico vs. Canada
Day 8 – September 20
- 11:00: Bronze Medal Game
- 13:30: Golden Medal Game
- 16:00: Closing Ceremony