Gordon Leads Team USA to 13-4 Win over CanadaGordon Leads Team USA to 13-4 Win over Canada
Baseball

Gordon Leads Team USA to 13-4 Win over Canada

DURHAM, N.C. (www.USABaseball.com) -- Nebraska All-American third baseman Alex Gordon (So., Lincoln, Neb.) went 2-for-2 with a two-run home run and three RBI to lead the 2004 USA Baseball National Team to a 13-4 victory over Canada Friday night at Durham Bulls Athletic Park.

Outfielder Travis Buck (So., Arizona State, Richland, Wash.) and shortstop Chris Valaika (Fr., UC Santa Barbara, Sunnyvale, Calif.) also homered in the lopsided win to run Team USA’s win streak to three games.

The third game of the six-game Friendship series with Canada is part of the trials week for the 2004 USA Baseball National Team. The current 36-player trials roster will be trimmed to 22 and announced on June 27 for the remainder of the summer season schedule that includes trips to Japan and Taiwan.

Starting pitcher Mark Romanczuk (So., Stanford, Newark, Del.) allowed one unearned run in three innings to give Team USA its third straight victory over the Canadians. Romanczuk, who is a two-time first-team All-Pac-10 selection and has 23 wins in his Stanford career, improved to 6-0 in the Red, White and Blue of Team USA. The left-hander was 5-0 with a 0.75 ERA for the National Team last summer that won a silver medal in the Pan Am Games in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

North Carolina freshman Daniel Bard (Charlotte, N.C.) worked two scoreless innings, running his fastball to as high as 97 mph on the radar gun. NC State reliever Joey Devine (So., Junction City, Kan.) worked a perfect ninth inning to nail down the victory. The Americans has their streak of 24.0 innings without giving up an earned run snapped in the seventh inning. USA also had a string of 13.2 hitless innings snapped in the first inning.

Gordon also scored three runs to lead USA’s 14-hit attack at the plate. In three games, the National Team is averaging 10.3 runs per game and has hit six home runs. Stanford second baseman Jed Lowrie (So., Salem, Ore.) went 2-for-4 with a double to notch USA’s only other multi-hit game. Buck continued his solid showing at the Trails, going 1-for-1 with a three-run, opposite field home run off Snorting Bull in left field and also reached base on a hit-by-pitch. The first-team All-Pac-10 selection has reached base in all six of his at-bats for Team USA.

Canada starting pitcher Charles Tasiaux gave up five hits and six runs and walked six in four innings to take the loss. Designated hitter Dave Barr led Canada going 2-for-3 with a run scored.

After giving up an unearned run in the top of the first, Team USA came back with two runs in the bottom half of the inning to take a 2-1 lead. Gordon started the scoring with a two-out single to right field to score Tyler Greene (So., Georgia Tech, Plantation, Fla.) from second base. Designated hitter Brian Bogusevic (So., Tulane, Oak Lawn, Ill.) plated Gordon with the second run on a towering double off the Blue Monster in left field.

Team USA added another run in the second to extend the lead to 3-1. Right fielder Brad Corley (So., Mississippi State, Louisville, Ky.) led off the frame with a single up the middle, stole second and third base and advanced home on a throwing error by the Canadian catcher.

After another run in the third, Gordon clubbed a two-run home run over the left-center field fence to stake USA to the 6-1 lead. Gordon was named the Big 12 Player of the Year and a consensus first-team All-American after hitting .365 with 18 home runs and 75 RBI for the Huskers.

After a scoreless fifth inning, the Red, White and Blue put another dent in the scoreboard with two more runs in the bottom of the sixth. Pinch-hitter Chris Valaika (Fr., UC Santa Barbara, Sunnyvale, Calif.) hit a solo home run and Lowrie laced a run-scoring double down the right field.

Canada cut into USA’s seven-run lead with a pair of runs in the top of the seventh. Shortstop Matt Calcagni drove in both runs with a bases loaded single to center field off reliever Bogusevic. First baseman Marc-Andre Charbonneau also hit a solo home run in the eighth inning off USA reliever Blair Erickson (Fr., UC Irvine, Fair Oaks, Calif.) for Canada’s first extra base hit of the series.

Team USA and Canada will finish up the four-game series in Durham tomorrow night at 7 p.m. at Durham Bulls Athletic Park. RHP Stephen Kahn (So., Loyola Marymount, Anaheim, Calif.) or LHP Stephen Head (So., Ole Miss, Raymond, Miss.) is schedule to start on the mound. USA and Canada will also play Sunday (June 27) in Aberdeen, Md., at Ripken Stadium (4:05 p.m. EST) and on Tuesday (June 29) at Coastal Federal Field in Myrtle Beach, S.C.

Game Notes: The USA Baseball National Team is now 46-9 against Canada since 1987 and has won 12 of the last 15 dating back to 1998" Team USA scored 11 of their 13 runs with two outs" USA was 8-for-9 stealing bases tonight (two short of single-game record) and is 14-for-15 in the last two games" Georgia Tech sophomore Tyler Greene leads the team with four stolen bases" Team USA has hit six home runs in the three games, with all six coming by different players" all 10 relief pitchers that have seen action in the three games have retired the first batter they have faced" Travis Buck leads the team hitting 1.000 (2-for-2, 2 R, HR, 5 RBI) and Trevor Crowe (Arizona) is 4-for-7 (.571) with a double, triple and three RBI.

Canada vs USA National Team (Jun 25, 2004)

Box score (NCAA) 2004 USA Baseball National Team Canada at USA National Team Jun 25, 2004 at Durham, N.C. (DBAP)

Canada 4 (0-3)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Jeff Tobin rf............ 4 0 0 0 0 1 3 0 2 Vince Ircandia 2b........ 3 1 0 0 1 2 2 3 0 M. Charbonneau 1b........ 4 1 1 1 0 1 6 0 0 Adam Campbell cf......... 3 0 0 1 0 0 3 1 0 Dave Barr dh/lf.......... 3 1 2 0 0 1 0 0 0 Dustin Bissonnette ss... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 Kyle Mace c.............. 4 0 0 0 0 2 4 0 1 Charlie Strandlund 3b/p.. 3 1 0 0 1 1 1 1 0 Steve Coates lf/rf....... 3 0 1 0 0 0 3 0 0 Matt Calcagni ss/3b...... 3 0 1 2 0 0 2 3 0 Charles Tasiaux p........ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 Daniel Nauth p.......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Scott Robinson p........ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 Totals................... 30 4 5 4 2 8 24 11 4

USA National Team 13 (3-0)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Clete Thomas lf.......... 3 0 0 0 1 0 2 0 0 Jason Donald ph/3b...... 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 Tyler Greene ss.......... 2 2 1 0 1 0 1 1 1 Chris Valaika ph/ss..... 3 1 1 1 0 0 0 2 1 Stephen Head 1b.......... 4 1 1 0 0 1 10 0 0 Craig Stinson ph/c...... 1 0 0 0 0 1 4 0 1 Alex Gordon 3b........... 2 3 2 3 2 0 0 2 0 Trevor Crowe cf......... 1 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 Brian Bogusevic dh/p..... 3 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 Troy Tulowitzki ph/dh... 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 Jed Lowrie 2b............ 4 0 2 1 0 0 1 4 1 Ryan Zimmerman ph/3b.... 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 Brad Corley rf........... 1 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 John Mayberry Jr. rf.... 3 1 1 1 0 0 1 0 2 Jeff Clement c........... 2 0 0 0 1 1 3 1 0 Brett Hayes c/1b........ 2 0 1 0 0 1 3 0 0 Jacoby Ellsbury cf....... 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 4 Travis Buck ph/lf....... 1 2 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 Mark Romanczuk p......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Daniel Bard p........... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 Blair Erickson p........ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Joey Devine p........... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Totals................... 36 13 14 10 9 4 27 11 10

Score by Innings R H E ------------------------------------------- Canada.............. 100 000 210 - 4 5 4 USA National Team... 211 202 14X - 13 14 1 -------------------------------------------

E - Tobin(1); Barr(1); Mace(1); Calcagni(1); Head(1). DP - Team USA 1. LOB - Canada 4; Team USA 10. 2B - Head(1); Crowe(1); Bogusevic(1); Lowrie(1). HR - Charbonneau(1); Valaika(1); Gordon(1); Buck(1). HBP - Barr; Coates; Corley; Buck. SF - Campbell(1). SB - Thomas(2); Greene(4); Gordon(1); Lowrie(1); Corley 2(2); Ellsbury(1); Buck(1). CS - Barr(1); Thomas(1).

Canada IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Charles Tasiaux..... 4.0 5 6 5 6 1 16 23 87 Daniel Nauth........ 1.1 3 2 2 1 1 7 8 28 Scott Robinson...... 1.2 2 1 0 0 1 7 8 22 Charlie Strandlund.. 1.0 4 4 4 2 1 6 8 29

USA National Team IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Mark Romanczuk...... 3.0 1 1 0 1 3 9 11 42 Daniel Bard......... 2.0 0 0 0 0 0 6 8 29 Brian Bogusevic..... 2.0 3 2 2 1 2 8 9 38 Blair Erickson...... 1.0 1 1 1 0 2 4 4 20 Joey Devine......... 1.0 0 0 0 0 1 3 3 8

Win - Romanczuk (1-0). Loss - Tasiaux (0-1). Save - None. WP - Tasiaux 2(2). HBP - by Tasiaux (Corley); by Bard (Barr); by Bard (Coates); by Robinson (Buck). BK - Bogusevic(1). PB - Mace(1). Inherited runners/scored: Robinson 2/1. Pitches/strikes: Tasiaux 87/41; Nauth 28/15; Robinson 22/14; Strandlund 29/15; Romanczuk 42/28; Bard 29/18; Bogusevic 38/22; Erickson 20/12; Devine 8/6. Umpires - HP: Greg Street 1B: Tom Baldinelli 3B: Andy Cook Start: 7:06 PM Time: 2:47 Attendance: 2382 Game notes: ID-261920 Game: 04USA03