Bengochea Earns Win For Team USA
June 19, 2000
Tucson, AZ – The USA Baseball National Team opened the 2000 U S WEST Red, White and Blue Summer Tour by defeating the Mexican National Team 5-0 before 3,028 fans at Hi Corbett Field. The season opener in Tucson was the first of a five-game series with Mexico, as the Americans notched their first victory of the season. Mexico dropped to 0-1.
Team USA right-hander Kiki Bengochea (RHP, Fr, Miami) made the start for the Americans and went 3.0 shutout innings to earn the victory. He allowed just one single while fanning six Mexican hitters. Lefty Jon Switzer (LHP, So, Arizona State) followed Bengochea and also worked 3.0 shutout frames. Switzer allowed three hits while striking out three, and got out of a bases-loaded jam in the fourth when he struck Jorge Rodriguez and Ramon Arce to end the inning. Righthander Rhett Parrott (RHP, So, Georgia Tech) came on in relief of Switzer to open the seventh, and struck out three. Kirk Saarloos (RHP, Jr, Cal State Fullerton) was Team USA’s final hurler, as he tossed a perfect ninth inning.
The Americans jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third when Mark Teixeira (3B, So, Georgia Tech) drove home Danny Garcia (OF, So, Pepperdine) on a sharp, two-out single to right field. Garcia had earlier reached base when Mexican starter Jacobo Ornelas to lead off the inning hit him with a pitch.
The Americans made it 2-0 in the sixth when Jake Gautreau (IF, So, Tulane) drove home Casey Myers (C, Jr, Arizona State) from second base on a two-out single to center field. Two innings later, Team USA blew the game open. The Red, White and Blue scored its first two runs of the inning when Tim Merritt (OF, So, South Alabama) connected off reliever Jose Gurrola for a two-run homer. Keith Butler (OF, Fr, Liberty) also drew a bases-loaded walk to complete the evening’s scoring.
The USA Baseball National Team trials will end after the June 1 game against Mexico, when USA Baseball cut the roster from 35 to the final 22.
2000 U S WEST Red, White and Blue Tour
Mexico at USA National Team June 18 2000 at Tucson, Arizona
Mexico 0 (0-1) USA National Team 5 (1-0)
AB R H RBI AB R H RBI
Lucero rf 4 0 0 0 Burke 2b 2 0 0 0Perez cf 4 0 1 0 Rouse ss 2 0 1 0Lugo 2b 4 0 2 0 Crosby ss 2 0 1 0Garcia, A. c 4 0 1 0 Shoppach c 2 0 0 0Reyez 3b 3 0 0 0 Teixeira 3b 2 0 1 1Rodriguez 1b 2 0 0 0 Butler lf 1 0 1 1Arce dh 2 0 0 0 Carson rf 3 0 0 0Zubia ph 1 0 0 0 Kent cf 2 0 0 0Orozco lf 3 0 0 0 Gross dh 2 0 0 0Marquez ss 3 0 0 0 Lewis 2b 3 0 0 0Ornelas p 0 0 0 0 Myers c/1b 3 2 1 0Gurrola p 0 0 0 0 Howard 1b 1 0 0 0Llerenas p 0 0 0 0 Merritt rf 2 1 1 2Vazquez p 0 0 0 0 Garcia lf 1 1 0 0 Keppinger dh 0 1 0 0 Greenberg cf 1 0 0 0 Gautreau 3b 2 0 2 1 Bengochea p 0 0 0 0 Switzer p 0 0 0 0 Parrott p 0 0 0 0 Saarloos p 0 0 0 0
Totals…… 30 0 4 0 Totals…… 31 5 8 5
Score by innings: R H E———————————————-Mexico 000 000 000 – 0 4 1USA National Team 001 001 03 – 5 8 0———————————————-
E – Lucero. DP – Mexico 1. LOB – Mexico 5, USA 12. 2B – Crosby, Butler,Myers. HR – Merritt(1). SB – Garcia. CS – Rodriguez.
IP H R ER BB SO WP BK HP IBB AB BF Fly Gnd
Ornelas L 0-1 7.0 5 2 1 5 5 1 0 2 1 25 32 5 9Gurrola 0.0 1 3 3 1 0 0 0 1 0 1 3 0 0Llerenas 0.0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 0 0Vazquez 1.0 0 0 0 1 2 0 0 0 0 3 4 0 1
Bengochea W 1-0 3.0 1 0 0 0 6 0 0 0 0 10 10 1 2Switzer 3.0 3 0 0 0 3 0 0 1 0 12 13 4 2Parrott 2.0 0 0 0 1 3 0 0 0 0 5 6 1 1Saarloos 1.0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 3 3 0 2
WP – Ornelas. HBP – by Ornelas (Burke), by Ornelas (Garcia), by Switzer(Reyez), by Gurrola (Myers).
Strikeouts – Lucero, Perez, Garcia, A., Reyez 2, Rodriguez 2, Arce 2,Zubia, Orozco 2, Marquez, Shoppach, Carson 2, Kent 2, Gross, Garcia. Walks- Rodriguez, Crosby, Teixeira, Butler, Howard, Keppinger 2, Greenberg.
Umpires – Home:Blunk 1st:Murrieta 2nd:Daugherty 3rd:RogersStart: 7:09 pm Time: 2:39 Attendance: 3028
Game Notes:Opening game of 2000 USA National Team SeasonGurrola faced 3 batters in the 8th.Llerenas faced 2 batters in the 8th.
