U.S. baseball team beats Cuba, 1-0

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The U.S. national baseball team shut out Cuba, 1-0, today in international tournament play as part of Haarlem Baseball Week in the Netherlands.

Kendal Volz out of Baylor University caught pinch-hitter Yoandrys Urgelles looking on a 2-2 slider for the third out of the ninth, stranding runners at second and third. The Americans improved their record to 9-0 on its 2008 tour and is the only remaining undefeated team in this tournament.

Pitching and defense dominated the night, with each team collecting on five hits.

Cuba’s scoring chances were hurt by two inning-ending double plays. In the third, U.S. third baseman Tommy Mendonca out of Fresno State started an around-the-hour double play to get the National Team out of a first-and-third, one-out jam. In the fifth, shortstop Ryan Jackson of Miami was falling down but managed to flip to second baseman Christian Colon out of Cal State Fullerton while falling down to start another first-and-third, one-out, inning-ending double play.

Colon had the game-winning hit.

The U.S. team returns to action Tuesday.

-- Debbie Goffa