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Five Team USA Pitchers Combine for No-Hitter in 9-0 Win Over Canada 6/25/2004
Five Team USA Pitchers Combine for No-Hitter in 9-0 Win Over Canada 6-25-04 DURHAM, N.C — Five Team USA pitchers combined to toss the first no-hitter in USA Baseball recorded history (since 1984) as the 2004 USA Baseball National Team defeated Canada 9-0 at Durham Bulls Athletic Park Thursday night. Ian Kennedy (Southern California – 2.2 IP), Ryan Mullins (Vanderbilt – 2.1 IP), Luke Hochevar (Tennessee – 2.0 IP), Joey Devine (NC State – 1.0 IP) and Blair Erickson (UC Irvine – 1.0 IP) combined to twirl the gem. Mullins was credited with the victory. Team USA is now 2-0 on the summer, while Canada falls to 0-2. Former Houston All-American Brad Sullivan had a one-hitter in 2002 that was the previous record for fewest hits allowed in a game. The second game of the six-game Friendship series with Canada served as part of the trials week for the 2004 USA Baseball National Team. The current 32-player trials roster will be trimmed to 20 and announced on June 27 for the remainder of the summer season schedule. The squad will compete against teams from the NECBL, Japan, Chinese Taipei and end the summer in the FISU World University Championship in Tainan, Taiwan (July 22-Aug. 1). Kennedy (Fr., Southern California, Huntington Beach, Calif.) struck out six in 2.2 scoreless innings while taking the no-decision. Vanderbilt sophomore LHP Ryan Mullins (Nashville, Tenn.) picked up the win out of the bullpen throwing two and a third scoreless and hitless innings of relief. Hochevar (So., Tennessee, Fowler, Colo.) followed with two strikeouts in a pair of hitless frames and Devine (So., Junction City, Kan.) struck out the side in the eighth. UC Irvine closer Blair Erickson (Fair Oaks, Calif.) struck out two in the final frame to seal the no-hit bid. After being shutout through four innings by Canadian starting pitcher Kyle Hill (Wayne State), catcher Craig Stinson (So., Texas A&M, Cranston, R.I.) gave USA the lead for good with a solo home run with one out in the top of the fifth inning. Third baseman Chris Valaika (Fr., UC Santa Barbara, Newhall, Calif.) extended the lead to 2-0 with a two-out, broken-bat single up the middle to score first baseman Stephen Head (So., Ole Miss, Raymond, Miss.). The late-inning surge continued in the seventh with four more runs to stake the Red, White and Blue to a commanding 6-0 lead. Left fielder Trevor Crowe (So., Arizona, Portland, Ore.) plated a run on a triple to the right field gap and came into score USA’s fourth run of the game on a wild pitch from Canadian reliever Josh Collins. Designated hitter Brian Bogusevic (So., Tulane, Oaklawn, Ill.) drove home two more runs with a one-out single up the middle. Head drove in a run with a single in the eighth inning and Crowe added two more runs on a two-run single in the ninth to send home the eighth and ninth runs of the game. Crowe, who arrived from the College World Series yesterday after Arizona was eliminated, went 3-for-6 with three RBI and a stolen base. In addition to handling the five pitchers in the no-hitter, Stinson had a solid performance at the plate going 2-for-5 with Team USA’s third home run in the last two games. Infielder Tyler Greene (So., Georgia Tech, Plantation, Fla.)went 1-for-3 with two runs scored and tied a USA Baseball National Team record with three stolen bases. Hill gave up four hits and two runs in 5.2 innings to take the loss on the mound. No Canadian base runner (three walks) got past first base. Team USA and Canada will continue its six-game Friendship Series Friday at 7 p.m. at DBAP. North Carolina freshman pitcher Daniel Bard (Charlotte, N.C.) is schedule to start on the mound. USA National Team 9, Canada 0 (Jun 24, 2004 at Durham, N.C.) Pitchers: USA National Team – Kennedy; Mullins(3); Hochevar(6); Devine(8); Erickson(9). Canada – Hill; Collins(6); Krywionek(7); Nauth(8); Fulton(9). Win-Mullins(1-0) Loss-Hill(0-1) www.USABaseball.com |
