By From Usa Baseball
Messina, Sicily, ITALY – The 2002 USA Baseball National Team (3-1) rebounded from a loss to China by exploding for 16 runs on 20 hits to finish pool play at the first ever World University Baseball Championship with a 16-2 victory over Korea (2-2), Wednesday afternoon at Primo Nebiolo.
Team USA’s Philip Humber (RHP, Fr, Rice) worked six shutout innings, limiting the Koreans to only three hits while striking out eight, earning his third victory of the summer. The University of Rice freshman was relieved by Abe Alvarez (LHP, So, Long Beach State), Huston Street (RHP, Fr, Texas) and Bob Zimmermann (RHP, So, SW Missouri State).
The Americans jumped out ahead in this one in the top of the second when Conor Jackson (DH, So, California) singled, and Aaron Hill (IF, So, LSU) followed two batters later with a two-run homer over the left field wall off Korean starter Jae-Bok Jung (0-1). Jung lasted only 2.1 innings, after Team USA made it 3-0 in the third on a Landon Powell (C, So, South Carolina) base hit that scored Eric Patterson (IF, Fr, Georgia Tech).
Team USA made it 4-0 in the fifth as Powell brought home Michael Aubrey (IF, So, Tulane) with a sacrifice fly. But the Americans kept putting pressure on Korea, and blew the game wide open in the seventh by gaining a comfortable 8-0 margin. Sam Fuld (OF, So, Stanford) added a two-run single and Patterson drove in a run as well.
Alvarez surrendered Korea’s first run, although it was unearned, and the Koreans plated a second run in the eighth off Street. Mark Jurich (OF, So, Louisville) belted a three-run homer to right off Korean reliever Ki-Sik Kim in the eighth, and Team USA added five more in the ninth for good measure. Aubrey went 3-for-5 with a pair of doubles, while Patterson, Hill and Fuld also each had three hits in the game. Hill scored four times, while Jurich picked up four RBI.
The United States will not know which country they will face in the quarterfinals until play is concluded here later tonight, as Italy (2-1) faces China (2-1) in Pool A at 8:30 pm local time. USA Baseball will be releasing an update later this evening, announcing the quarterfinal matchups of the 2002 World University Baseball Championships with starting times for Friday, August 9.
For a complete boxscore and play-by-play of this game, log on to www.usabaseball.com/natl_schedule.html and click on the red “LIVE SCORING” option listed next to tonight’s game on the 2002 USA Baseball Red, White and Blue Tour schedule.
For a live webcam of Primo Nebiolo (stadium), updated stats, rosters, and more information about the 2002 FISU World University Baseball Championship, log on to www.cusmessina.it.
2002 FISU WORLD UNIVERSITY BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS
Standings as of 8-7-02
POOL A, USA 3-1, China 2-1, Italy 2-1, Korea 2-2, Canada 0-4
POOL B, Cuba 3-0, Japan 3-0, Chinese Taipei 2-2, Czech Republic 1-3, France 0-4
