After two games on Friday, the USA Collegiate National Team is now 0-4 against Japan. In the first game, good pitching held the U.S. down. In the second game, a comeback attempt by the collegiate team fell short.
Game Three: Japan Defeats USA, 2-0 – The USA Collegiate Team was shut out in game three by Japan. Oregon State’s Dax Whitney got the start for the United States and threw two scoreless innings to begin the game.
However, in the third inning, two hits and an error allowed Japan to get on the board. Ayuto Matsushita had an RBI knock in that inning.
Georgia Tech’s Drew Burress and Auburn’s Chris Rembert had multi-hit games for the Americans.
The pitching stood out as well. Whitney finished with four strikeouts. North Carolina’s Jason DeCaro and UC Irvine’s Ricky Ojeda both had two strikeouts each.
Game Four: Japan Defeats USA, 6-5 – Japan stopped a comeback attempt by the USA Collegiate Team. They would win 6-5 and move to 4-0 against the Americans in the series.
Japan got out to another fast start. Shogo Tanihata knocked in two runs in the first inning. In the second inning, Matsushita hit a home run, which made it a 3-0 game.
In response, Mississippi State’s Ace Reese scored a run for the collegiate team. Arkansas’ Ryder Helfrick followed that up with a sacrifice fly to make it a 3-2 game.
After three more runs by Japan to build a lead, Rembert hit a clutch two-run single that made it a one-run game. However, Virginia’s AJ Gracia struck out to end all hope of a U.S. comeback.
Up Next – The final game of the series between Japan and the USA Collegiate National Team will be at 4 a.m. EDT on Sunday, July 13. The game will be played at Meiji Jingu Stadium in Tokyo.
Photo: Chris Rembert drove in two with a single to left field with the bases loaded in the eighth inning of game four of the 45th USA vs. Japan Collegiate All-Star Championship Series in Niigata, Japan. (Photo courtesy of USA Baseball)
