Louisville's Jurich Leads USA team to a 2-0 Win Over Japan

Mark Jurich

LONG ISLAND, NEW YORK - Righthander Kyle Sleeth (RHP, So, Wake Forest) threw a complete game, two-hitter and Mark Jurich (DH, So, Louisville) provided all the offense the Americans needed as Team USA picked up a 2-0 victory in Game Three of the 31st Annual USA vs. Japan All-Star Series Sunday night at Citibank Park. With the win, Team USA now leads the series two games to one.

Team USA is now (4-1) on the 2002 Red, White and Blue Tour. The Americans need one more win in the five-game set in order to capture their 19th series in the history of the event, while Japan has won 12 times overall. Team USA has never lost the series while it's been played in the United States, while Japan hasn't lost a home-soil series overseas since 1979.

Team USA took the early 1-0 lead when Mark Jurich (DH, So, Louisville) ripped a two-out single to left field in the bottom of the second that scored Landon Powell (C, So, South Carolina). Jurich then made it 2-0 in the fifth when he led off with a solo homer to right field off Japanese starter Kisanuki Hiroshi (0-1).

Sleeth (2-0) went the distance to notch his second win for Team USA. He allowed just a lead-off double in the second to Tomochika Onizaki and a one-out single in the ninth to Masashi Sasaki. He did not walk a batter and struck out six on the night. In two starts for the USA National Team, Sleeth has pitched 16.0 shutout innings and surrendered just seven hits while striking out 15.

Powell and Jurich were the only Americans that had two hits in the game. Kisanuki worked all eight innings for Japan, and fanned nine.

Game Four of the series is scheduled for Tuesday evening at First Energy Park in Lakewood, New Jersey. Philip Humber (RHP, Fr, Rice) is set to take the mound for the Americans.

For a complete boxscore and play-by-play of this game, log on to www.usabaseball.com/natl_schedule.html l 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.

Release courtesy of USA Baseball