UH's Sullivan Leads USA National Team to 6-1 Win over Japan

ABERDEEN, Md. - Team USA starter Brad Sullivan (RHP, So, Houston) pitched 8.1 innings and limited the Japanese Collegiate All-Stars to just three hits as the USA Baseball National Team (3-0) won the opener of the 31st Annual USA vs. Japan Collegiate All-Star Series by a 6-1 score Friday night at Ripken Stadium in Aberdeen, Maryland.

Team USA is now (3-0) on the 2002 Red, White and Blue Tour, and lead the series, 1-0. The Americans are looking to capture their 19th series in the history of the event, while Japan has won 12 times overall. Team USA has never lost the five-game set while it's been played in the United States, while Japan hasn't lost a home-soil series overseas since 1979.

Japan took a 1-0 lead in the top of the fourth when Hiroyasu Tanaka reached on an error by American shortstop Dustin Pedroia (IF, Fr, Arizona State). He came around to score two batters later on a sacrifice fly to center field by Japanese cleanup hitter Taketoshi Gato, and it would be the only run they would get off Sullivan.

Team USA finally got things rolling in the fifth after being limited to just one hit through four innings by Japanese starter Yuya Kubo. Landon Powell (C, So, South Carolina) led off with a single, and when Gato misplayed Pedroia's sacrifice bunt, the Americans had a pair of runners on base. Eric Patterson (IF, Fr, Georgia Tech) then beat out a bunt to load the bases for Sam Fuld (OF, So, Stanford), who singled sharply up the middle to tie the game 1-1.

Then with one out, Michael Aubrey (IF, So, Tulane) launched a deep fly ball to the warning track in right center field. Japanese outfielder Daisuke Arakawa ran it down in the alley, but Pedroia tagged to score from third, and Patterson motored all the way around from second base to give Team USA a 3-1 advantage.

The score stayed that way until the bottom of the eighth, when Powell connected on a three-run homer to right field off Japanese reliever Naohisa Sugiyama. Kubo (0-1) pitched five innings and allowed three runs (two earned) on four hits while striking out five USA hitters, taking the loss. But Sullivan (1-0) was masterful, as he did not walk a batter while fanning nine. Bob Zimmermann (RHP, So, SW Missouri State) came on the notch the final two outs of the game.

Carlos Quentin (OF, So, Stanford) went 2-for-3 with a run scored for Team USA. Game Two of the series is scheduled for Saturday evening at the Ballpark at Harbor Yard in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Kyle Bakker (LHP, So, Georgia Tech) will get the ball for the Americans.

For a complete boxscore and play-by-play of this game, log on to www.usabaseball.com/natl_schedule and click on the red "LIVE SCORING" option listed next to tonight's game on the 2002 USA Baseball Red, White and Blue Tour schedule.

For Team USA live real-time scoring and official team stats, log on to www.usabaseball.com.