STEVENS, Pa. — The 2017 USA Softball Men’s National Team (MNT) went undefeated to earn a No. 1 seed at the Rodney Fox Memorial Tournament in Stevens, Pa. Three shutout victories, including a no-hitter by BJ Hunhoff (Harrisburg, S.D.), highlighted the day for the Red, White and Blue, who will return to action tomorrow morning at 11 a.m. ET for the playoff rounds.
Game One: USA 8, PA Power 0 (five inning)
In their first contest of the 2017 season, the USA Softball MNT started the summer with a bang as the team combined for 10 hits in an 8-0 (five inning) win over PA Power. With a pair of home runs from Matt Ratliff (American Fork, Utah) and Erick Ochoa (Imperial, Calif.), the U.S. also had strong performances in the circle from first-time Team USA member Duane Weiler (Bedford, Pa.) and veteran Chris Heinlein (Columbia, Mo.).
Scoring six runs early in the bottom of the first inning and following with an additional two in the fourth inning, Ochoa finished the game with a 2-for-3 performance with three RBI, while Ratliff also went 2-for-3 with two RBI. Earning the win was Weiler, who threw four scoreless innings, allowing just one hit while fanning six batters in his debut with the Red, White and Blue. Heinlein pitched the final frame, issuing one strikeout.
Game Two: USA 16, Kelly’s 0 (three inning)
In Team USA’s second game of the day, Hunhoff was lights out in the circle as he led the U.S. to a 16-0 (three inning) win over Kelly’s. Picking up a no-hitter in the shutout win, Hunhoff fanned four batters while allowing just one walk through the three-inning contest.
Jonathan Lynch (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) was unstoppable at the plate, going a perfect 4-for-4 with three runs scored and three doubles. Ratliff continued with the hot bat, going 2-for-2 with a pair of runs scored and one RBI, while Cameron Schiller (Prescott, Ariz.) and Nick Mullins (Toms River, N.J.) picked up three RBI each.
Game Three: USA 8, Kurtz 1 (five inning)
The U.S. once again took an early lead in their third game of the day as Team USA claimed an 8-1 (five inning) win over Kurtz. With a pair of home runs from Tyler Dudley (Battle Creek, Mich.) and Ochoa, Weiler picked up his second win of the day in the circle.
Marcus Tan (Union City, Calif.) was perfect at the plate, going 2-for-2 with an RBI and one run scored, while Ochoa and Dudley each picked up two RBI. Weiler got the start, pitching three and two-third innings with one strikeout and one earned run before Hunhoff entered in relief in the fourth inning. Hunhoff pitched the final one and one-third frames, issuing four strikeouts while allowing zero hits.
Game Four: USA 6, Farmersville 0
Team USA picked up their third shutout win of the tournament in their final game of the day in a 6-0 outing over Farmersville. With the offense once again paving the way with 12 hits, Tony Mancha (Las Cruces, N.M.) earned the win after going the full seven innings in the circle.
Ochoa and Dudley had another strong outing at the plate, each sending out a home run and also picking up a double apiece. Mancha issued 21 strikeouts, allowing just three batters to reach base with two hits and a hit batter.
Semifinal: USA 13, Elanco 3 (five inning)
Jeff Nowaczyk (Midland, Mich.) had a day at the plate to help land the U.S. in the Championship Game. With a perfect 3-for-3 performance in the batter’s box, Nowaczyk sent two balls out of the park to pick up four RBI while Heinlein, Dudley, Kay and Ochoa each picked up a home run in the run-rule contest.
BJ Hunhoff (Harrisburg, S.D.) earned the win in the circle, pitching the first four innings with two strikeouts, three hits and three runs. Duane Weiler (Bedford, Pa.) entered in relief in the final frame, retiring each batter faced while picking up one strikeout.
The USA Softball MNT will meet up again at the Father’s Day Memorial Tournament in Houston, Texas from June 16-18 and the Vancouver Challenge July 1-3 in Vancouver, B.C., Canada. The final 17-player roster for the 2017 USA Softball MNT will be determined prior to the WBSC Men’s Women's World Championship, which will be held July 4-17 in Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada. Fans at home can follow along all summer long at USASoftball.com.
Championship Game: USA 8, Globe 0 (six inning)
Facing one of the best pitchers in the international game, Team USA proved they are a force to be reckoned with as the team slugged their way to an 8-0 (six inning) win over Globe. After taking the lead in the bottom of the second inning after Bryce Kay (Jefferson, Mo.) sent out a two-run shot, the U.S. never looked back as Mancha kept all but three Globe hitters off the bases.
It was a pitcher’s duel before Kevin Castillo (Long Beach, Calif.) picked up the first U.S. hit of the game with a double to lead off the bottom of the second inning. Back-to-back strikeouts kept Castillo at second before Kay sent the ball deep over the left field fence to make it a 2-0, U.S. ballgame.
It would stay a two-run lead for the Red, White and Blue until the bottom of the fifth inning when Chris Heinlein (Columbia, Mo.) was issued a leadoff walk. Nick Mullins (Toms River, N.J.) brought him home with an RBI double to left field before a single from Matt Ratliff (American Fork, Utah) put runners on the corners. This prompted a pitching change for Globe, as starter Sean Cleary was replaced by Jon Gwizdala. An error would allow Mullins to cross the plate, a sac fly from Erick Ochoa (Imperial, Calif.) brought home Ratliff and a sac fly from Tyler Dudley (Battle Creek, Mich.) extended the U.S. lead to 6-0. One inning later, a two-run home run from Pat Sagdal (Richland, Wash.) earned the walk-off win for the United States.
Mancha got the win in the circle, his second of the Rodney Fox Memorial Tournament. Limiting Globe to just two hits and one walk, Mancha picked up nine strikeouts through six complete innings of work.
“These guys played as a team,” said Head Coach Denny Bruckert (Gillespie, Ill.). “We swung the bats against some good pitching and our defense played really good all weekend. All in all, we did a really good job all weekend and I’m excited to see how this team develops.”
