18U Team blanks Argentina, 14-0

BARQUISIMETO, Venezuela -- Bryce Harper and Manny Machado each drove in two runs in a seven-run third inning, and Phillip Pfeifer struck out 11 and allowed just two hits over six innings to lead the USA Baseball 18U National Team to a 14-0 run-rule shutout against Argentina Saturday in Day 2 of the COPABE "AAA" Pan American Championships at Daniel Canonico Stadium.

The seven-run explosion marked the second straight day that Team USA's offense erupted with a big uprising. In the team's tournament opener on Friday, the Americans (2-0) also tallied a seven-run inning in a 13-3 10-run-rule win against Aruba.

With the game scoreless, the 18U National Team sent 12 hitters to the plate in the third inning. Seven of those batters reached base consecutively, six via hits. Harper opened the scoring with a two-run double, and Machado, who finished with three RBIs, later added a two-run single. Brian Ragira had an RBI grounder in the team's breakaway inning. Besides Harper, who also had a first-inning two-bagger, Nicholas Delmonico and Garin Cecchini chipped in doubles during the third inning.

"It would be nice to have two big innings like that each game, but we'll take one," quipped 18U National Team head coach Garye LaFevers.

"We were a lot sharper and did a better job of focusing and paying attention to details [Saturday]," LaFevers added. "We like what we're doing, but we understand that we must get much better. Phillip Pfeifer was just outstanding on the mound."

The only hits Pfeifer permitted Argentina (0-2) were back-to-back singles with two outs in the second inning. From there, the left-hander retired 13 consecutive hitters. He ended his performance by striking out the side in the sixth. Cody Buckel took over on the mound in the seventh and fanned the only three batters he faced to end the game via the tournament's run rule.

Delmonico, who had three of Team USA's 10 hits, added a two-run single during a three-run fifth inning. Sacrifice flies by Cory Hahn and Sean Coyle plated two more runs for the Americans in the sixth. Nick Castellanos also had a pair of hits and scored three runs.

The next action for Team USA will be a 2:30 p.m. ET matchup against Panama (1-0) on Sunday. Panama recorded a 7-1 opening-day victory against Colombia and did not play Saturday.