Team USA knocks off Chinese Taipei

FROM USA BASEBALL RELEASE

CARY, NC— Lance Lynn (1-0) struck out 10 over six innings as Team USA (8-1) cruised to a 13-2 victory over Chinese Taipei (1-3), winning for the third-straight time to begin their five-game series with their Asian-Pacific counterpart.

Lynn (Ole Miss) retired the first nine batters of the game and then another six near the end of his day. At one point, from the fourth through the sixth, he struck out five of six Taiwanese batters. Overall, Lynn gave up just one unearned run on two hits. He walked two and struck out 10 on 92 pitches.

Arizona State’s Brett Wallace and Petey Paramore reached base safely a combined eight times. Paramore walked twice and was 3-for-4 with an RBI, while Wallace was 3-for-3 with three RBIs. Justin Smoak (South Carolina) added three hits, while Tommy Medica (Santa Clara) had two, part of a 16-hit attack.

Poor pitching led to three runs in the second for Team USA and a 3-0 lead. Cheng-Long Lo (0-1) did not get out of the inning, walking four on the day, including two in the second. Back-to-back RBI singles by Roger Kieschnick (Texas Tech) and Logan Forsythe (Arkansas) made it 2-0, before a bases loaded walk to Paramore made it 3-0. Forsythe also had a three-run double in the eighth.

Three double plays over the first three innings by Chinese Taipei kept the damage at a minimum as the U.S. tacked on a run in the third to lead 4-0.

The Americans batted around in the fifth and scored four more times to lead 8-1.

TEAM NOTES
3B Pedro Alvarez (hand) was scratched from the original lineup. He is day-to-day.... the team’s early time schedule this week is set to replicate the schedule in the Pan American Games, one night game, followed by two early games... it was Team USA’s first official game in their new training complex which opened last week... they have been practicing in the facility since last Tuesday... Steve Strasberg (San Diego State) appeared for the first time, joining the team for a week, pitching the eighth and ninth, giving up a run on three hits.