From Steven Embree | ASA/USA Softball
Assistant Director of Marketing and Communications
PARANA, Argentina – The USA Softball Junior Men’s National Team competed in two exhibition games against Canada in preparation for the International Softball Federation (ISF) IX Junior Men’s World Championship which is scheduled to start on Thursday, November 1 the Amateur Softball Association (ASA) announced today. Team USA took game one by a final of 3-0 before falling 6-5 in the second game of the doubleheader.
Jerlin Rutt (Bernville, Pa.) started the day in the circle for the USA. The right hander pitched the complete game shutout giving up just four hits and recording five strikeouts. From the plate the USA Junior Men scored three runs on five hits.
Jonathan Lynch (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) lead off the bottom of the second inning with a single and advanced to third on an error and a wild pitch. With Lynch in scoring position Mauro Olivarria (San Diego, Calif.) singled to score the first American run. The USA Men picked up another run in the fourth inning when Justin Wurtz (New Haven, Mo.) was hit by a pitch and came around to score on a wild pitch later in the inning. The would pick up one more run in the fifth to secure the 3-0 win.
In game two USA resumed their scoring efforts early with two runs in the first inning and two more in the third to take a 4-0 lead into the bottom of the third inning.
Zach Lach (Frankenmuth, Mich.) started at pitcher for Team USA and held the Canadian’s scoreless for two innings before giving up three runs on three hits and two walks in the bottom of the third making it a 4-3 game.
In the fourth inning a Dakota Wells (San Luis Obispo, Calif.) run gave Team USA a two-run advantage that lasted until the bottom of the last inning. Down by two runs Canada managed to secure two base runners off of a hit-by-pitch and walk. With one out Brent Meshke (Lake Crystal, Minn.) gave up a three-run, walk off home run to end the game.
The USA Junior Men will return to the field on Wednesday, October 31 to face Mexico and Japan in back-to-back games. The team will begin tournament action on Friday, November 2 when they face Denmark at 3 pm (CT)
