BRADENTON, Florida –Tyrus Hall (Victoria, BC) drove in two runs on a second inning triple, Joshua Jones (Blainville, QC) added an eighth inning RBI while four Canadian pitchers combined to limit a powerful USA lineup to just two runs and four hits en route to a 3-2 victory in game five of the Friendship Series.
Alexis Gravel (Repentigny, QC) started things off on the mound working three scoreless frames giving up just one hit and one walk while striking out four and Reece Usselman (Langley, BC) followed with two scoreless innings of his own.
Usselman allowed a leadoff single in the fifth but fanned the next two batters he faced before Colin Cymbalista (Pickering, ON) gunned the runner down trying to steal third to end the inning.
The Americans put their first run on the scoreboard in the sixth taking advantage of a pair of Ty Hamilton (Orleans, ON) walks to cash one on in on an RBI groundout before he tossed a scoreless inning in the seventh striking out two and stranding a pair of runners.
With Canada clinging to a one run lead in the eighth, Joshua Jones lined a two-out single to centre to score Nate Ochoa (Burlington, ON) with a much needed insurance run.
After Elijah Green hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the inning to pull the Americans within one, Jordan Woods (Oakville, ON) earned the save in the bottom of the ninth retiring the side in order.
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