Red defeats Blue, 6-4, in game one: Red Team received 7 1/3 innings of no-hit baseball

FULLERTON, Calif. -- The Red Team received 7 1/3 innings of no-hit ball from pitchers Kenny Mathews (Diamond Bar, Calif.), Deshorn Lake (St. Thomas, Virgin Islands) and Ricky Jacquez (El Paso, Texas) and scored four runs in the top of the 10th inning to defeat the Blue Team, 6-4, on Monday night at Goodwin Field.

Mathews started for the Red Team and had two strikeouts and a walk in 3.0 hitless innings, while Lake struck out three and walked one in 2.0 hitless frames. Jacquez then threw 2.1 hitless innings before Cory Geisler (Spring, Texas) tripled to center in the bottom of the eighth for the Blue Team's first hit of the game.

The Red Team grabbed a 1-0 lead in the top of the first. Shortstop C.J. Hinojosa (Spring, Texas) lined a one-out double over Austin Cousino's (Dublin, Ohio) head in center to start the inning. Second baseman Kevin Kramer (Turlock, Calif.) then followed with an RBI-single up the middle. Later in the frame with Kramer at third and first baseman Ruben Ybarra (Riverside, Calif.) at second, catcher Evan Powell (Lake Powell, La.) hit a hard comebacker right at pitcher Ryan Harris (Jupiter, Fla.), who caught the line drive and doubled off Kramer at third to end the inning.

The Red Team added another run in the top of the second to take a 2-0 lead. Leftfielder Andrew Pullin (Centralia, Wash.) drew a walk and stole second to begin the inning. After advancing to third on a groundout by third baseman Alex Santana (Cape Coral, Fla.), Pullin scored on a passed ball.

In the bottom of the seventh, Jacquez struck out third baseman Rio Ruiz (Covina, Calif.) to start the frame. Catcher Michael Klement (Cooper City, Fla.) followed with a line drive to the gap in right center but Red Team centerfielder JoMarcos Woods (Orlando, Fla.) made an amazing diving catch to keep the no hitter going. First baseman Eric Neitzel (Miami, Fla.) and Cousino then drew back-to-back walks. Neitzel would then score on a throwing error to make it a 2-1 ballgame.

Jacquez retired right fielder Jesse Winker (Windemere, Fla.) to begin the bottom of the eighth. Geisler then tripled to center to break up the no hitter. Following a pop fly single by shortstop Francisco Lindor (Clermont, Fla.), second baseman Timmy Lopes (Canyon Country, Calif.) lined an RBI-single to left to tie the game at 2-2.

After pitcher Hawtin Buchanan (Biloxi, Miss.) struck out the side in the top of the ninth on 13 pitches, the Blue Team would take its first lead of the game in the bottom half of the frame. Cousino lined a ball up the middle and showed great hustle to slide into second with a one-out double. Cousino would then advance to third on a passed ball before scoring on a standup triple by leftfielder Josh Guerra (Downey, Calif.).

Trailing 3-2 in the top of the 10th, the Red Team would score four runs in the frame to take a 6-3 lead. Pitcher Chris Diaz (Miami, Fla.) would draw a one-out walk before advancing all the way to third on consecutive passed balls. Woods followed with a walk before Hinojosa smacked a first pitch two-run double into the gap in right center. Kramer then lined an RBI-single to right center to score Hinojosa. Kramer would advance to second on a passed ball before stealing third. Ybarra then drove him in with a sacrifice fly to center.

The Blue Team added a run in the bottom of the 10th to account for the final score.

Kramer went 4-for-5 with two RBI and a run scored to lead the Red Team at the plate. Hinojosa finished 3-for-5 with a pair of doubles, two RBI and two runs scored. Ybarra was 1-for-4 with an RBI, while Mathews and Jacquez both finished 1-for-1. Woods, Diaz and Pullin all scored runs in the win.

Diaz went 2.0 innings to pick up the victory, allowing two runs (one earned) on two hits with five strikeouts and a walk. Jacquez gave up two runs (one earned) on three hits in 3.0 innings of work. He struck out two batters and allowed three walks.

Lopes led the way for the Blue Team, finishing 1-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored. Guerra went 1-for-3 with an RBI-triple, Geisler was 1-for-2 with a triple and a run scored and Cousino was 1-for-4 with a run scored. Lindor added a hit and Neitzel added a run scored.

Buchanan took the loss for the Blue Team after allowing four runs on two hits in 1.2 innings pitched. He struck out three and walked three in the loss. Harris gave up two runs (one earned) on five hits in 2.1 innings. John Hochstatter (Danville, Calif.) fanned four and allowed one hit in 2.0 innings and Geisler struck out five in 3.0 scoreless innings.

Game two of the trials will be Tuesday night at 6:05 p.m. PDT at the Urban Youth Academy in Compton, Calif.

Tags: Alex Santana, Andrew Pullin, Austin Cousino, C.J. Hinojosa, Cory Geisler, Deshorn Lake, Evan Powell, JoMarcos Woods, JoMarcos Woods, Josh Guerra, Kenny Mathews, Kevin Kramer, Michael Klement, Ricky Jacquez, Ruben Ybarra, Ryan Harris, Timmy Lopes, U16 National Team, USA Baseball