CARY, N.C. — Chih-Hsien Lin collected four hits to lead Chinese Taipei to a 7-3 comeback win over the USA Collegiate National Team in the finale of the series, snapping Team USA’s five-game winning streak, on Monday afternoon at USA Baseball’s National Training Complex.
Team USA (6-4) and Chinese Taipei (3-4) squared off in a seven-game series that started on June 23 with a pair of exhibition tune-ups, before the five-game set, counting for international points, began. Team USA posted four consecutive wins to open the five-game set to clinch the series, before a five-run seventh inning erased a Team USA lead on Monday and kept Chinese Taipei from suffering the sweep.
The Red, White and Blue were led at the plate by RBI hits from Chris Okey (Clemson), Buddy Reed (Florida) and KJ Harrison (Oregon State). Team USA also got hits from Bryson Brigman (San Diego), JJ Schwarz (Florida) and Ryan Howard (Missouri). Outfield stars Nick Banks (Texas A&M) and Corey Ray (Louisville) each had their team-leading nine-game hitting streaks snapped. Ray is batting .385 (15-for-39) on the summer with four doubles, three RBI and nine steals, with Banks hitting .382 (13-for-34) with two doubles, seven RBI and three stolen bases.
Team USA starter Drew Rasmussen worked three shutout innings, allowing a pair of hits – both leading off an inning – and striking out three. Matt Crohan (Winthrop) started the fourth inning, allowing three hits and two runs, getting a pair of strikeouts. Duke lent Team USA its righty Bailey Clark, in an effort to fill innings, with Clark coming on the fourth. Clark worked 2.2 innings, allowing four hits and one run, walking one and striking out four. Lefty Seth Romero (Houston) came on in relief with one out in the seventh, getting an out but allowing a trio of runs to score. Zack Burdi (Louisville) relieved Romero with two outs in the seventh, escaping the jam after allowing an infield hit. Burdi tossed 2.1 shutout innings, allowing two hits, striking out three.
Team USA will break for its first off-day of the summer after playing 10 games in its first 10 days. The Red, White and Blue will then open its crucial five-game series vs. Cuba, starting on Wednesday, with first pitch slated for 7 p.m. at the USA Baseball National Training Complex.
In the bottom of the third inning, Team USA broke through on the scoreboard to take the first lead of the game. Brigman started the frame with a single through the left side and Okey drew a walk. After a strikeout, Reed smacked a single through the right side to score Brigman and push Okey to third base. Harrison then ripped a double off the top of the wall in leftfield, allowing Okey to score for a two-run lead.
Chinese Taipei got on the board in the fourth inning as Tai-Chun Yang belted 3-2 offering for a leadoff homer over the wall in leftfield. After a pair of strikeouts, Chih-Chieh Su drew a four-pitch walk and Chih-Hsien Lin followed with a single to leftfield. Kai’Wen Cheng then got a two-out RBI single into left-centerfield to score Su with the tying run.
Team USA regained the lead in the fourth inning, as Howard and Schwarz lined opposite-field singles to open the inning. After a strikeout, Okey painted a RBI double down the leftfield line, scoring Howard and pushing Schwarz to third base.
Chinese Taipei rallied to take the lead in the seventh inning on three hits and three runs. Yang drew a one-out walk and Po-Jung Wang singled into right-centerfield. Yi-Hung Chen then reached on a broken-bat single inside the third base bag, allowing Yang to score the tying run. After a big strikeout from Romero, Chih-Hsien Lin pushed a two-RBI single down the rightfield line to score the go-ahead runs. After a walk, Tzu-Hong Chen singled into centerfield, scoring Lin for a 6-3 lead. An infield hit scored the fifth run, making it 7-3 after seven innings.
Chinese Taipei starter Yu-Pu Lang worked three innings, allowing three hits and two runs, walking one and striking out four. Tzu-Peng Huang, Tzo-Wei Lin, Chian-Hao Sung and Yen-Ching Lu each worked in relief.
