Team USA continues to prove they’re head and shoulders above the field at the Pan Am Championships in Cartegena, Colombia. After dealing with two rain-suspended games on Sunday and Monday, they beat the host team in every aspect en route to a 4-0 victory in front of an estimated 10,000 fans.
Carson Kelly, a 6′-2″ righty from Westview HS in Oregon, was brilliant over eight shutout innings. He allowed five hits, struck out seven and didn’t allow a walk as he retired the first 10 batters to start the game. Carson Fulmer, a 6′-1″ righty from All Saints Academy in Florida, pitched a scoreless ninth to complete the shutout, the team’s second of the tournament.
The pitching staff now has a combined 0.79 ERA and 0.85 WHIP, and has held opponents to a .143 average over 34 innings.
Albert Almora again led the attack for the offense. The 6′-1″ outfielder from Mater HS in Florida went three-for-five with a double and two stolen bases. Over the first four games, he is nine-for-18 (.500) with three doubles, six RBI and four stolen bases. The six-time member of Team USA is showing why he is one of the top all-around players in the nation and a lock to be a first-round draft pick next year.
Alex Bregman, A 5′-11″ infielder from New Mexico, continued to come up huge when called upon. He went two-for-three with two runs, a stolen base and an RBI double in the fourth inning. Bregman is now five-for-eight (.625) with six runs, two doubles, three RBI and three stolen bases in limited time.
Infielders Gavin Cecchini and Mikey White added a hit a piece as Team USA out-hit Colombia 7-6. Cecchini added a stolen base, the team’s fourth of the day; through four games, Team USA has an astounding 22 stolen bases as they continue to put pressure on opposing pitchers with aggressiveness and speed from top to bottom.
Colombia didn’t help itself any by committing five errors on the day, including three from third baseman Pedro Perez. The Colombians entered the game undefeated at 3-0 and tied with USA for the lead in Group B. Team USA and Group A leader Venezuela are now the only 4-0 teams in the tournament.
Overall, the team is hitting .344 and has outscored opponents 38-3. Along with dominant pitching, and havoc on the base paths, Team USA also has played flawless defense. The team has yet to commit an error over 34 innings.
The team plays the Bahamas on Wednesday with a tentative start time of 12 PM ET. Then they resume their suspended game against Puerto Rico on Thanksgiving. Puerto Rico is leading 2-0 in the bottom of the fourth, but Mikey White is up with the base loaded and nobody out with a chance to put USA in the lead.
Here is a link to follow all of the action.
