July 29, 2007

Courtesy of Long Beach State Athletics

CARY, NC-- Down to their final out, Pedro Alvarez (Vanderbilt) doubled and Roger Kieschnick (Texas Tech) singled to plate two runs in the ninth and give Team USA (20-7) a 2-1 win over the Netherlands (0-2) to win the mini, three-game series. This was the first game of a day-night doubleheader in Cary, NC and Durham, NC, with the latter game starting at 5 p.m.

Josh Romanski (San Diego) started the rally with a one-out double and error to center off of closer Dave
Drayer. Dayer then struck out Brett Wallace (Arizona State), before giving up an 0-1 base hit to Alvarez,
his third hit of the day.

Brett Hunter (2-0, Pepperdine) kept it close in relief, retiring the first seven batters he faced into
the ninth, before retiring three straight to end the game and pick up the win.

Leon Boyd went the first six shutout innings for the Netherlands, allowing just two hits, both to Alvarez
with two strikes, while leaving with a 1-0 lead. Boyd retired eight in a row early and then the final six
Americans he faced. Michiel van Kampen pitched the next two scoreless innings, before yielding to Drayer in the ninth. Team USA managed just four hits over the first eight innings.

Eric Surkamp (North Carolina State) pitched into the seventh, allowing just one run on one hit, walking
four and striking out another five in his first appearance for Team USA, after earning a call-up from
the Cape Cod League, since June 24.

Vince Rooi led off the second with a hit by pitch and came around to score on a two-out single by Bryan
Engelhardt to give the Dutch a 1-0 lead.

The Americans tried to tie it in the eighth with runners on the corners with one out, but a double
steal was unsuccessful keeping the Netherlands ahead 1-0.

TEAM NOTES
Lefthander Eric Surkamp was making his appearance (and second start) for the Americans, after pitching in the Cape Cod League this summer, since June 24 in Newport, RI... Netherlands manager Robert Eenhoorn was a top prospect in Yankees system as a shortstop and was moved to second base in the mid 1990's after the emergence of Derek Jeter... Jordan Danks made a nice diving catch in centerfield in the fourth inning to start a double play.

UPCOMING SCHEDULE
The nine-game American trip will continue with the Netherlands on Sunday night in Durham (afternoon game at 5 p.m.), before closing out with Russia on Monday in Cary, NC at 7 p.m... the team closes out their schedule at the World Port Tournament in the Netherlands starting on August 2.