Courtesy of Dave Fanucchi, Team USA Baseball Press Officer
SYDNEY, Australia — Former Tiger Kurt Ainsworth allowed only one run in 6 2/3 innings as Team USA remained unbeaten at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia, Tuesday night with a 6-2 win over The Netherlands.
The win improves Team USA’s record in pool play to 3-0,? while The Netherlands drops to 1-2.
The Americans jumped onto the scoreboard immediately in the top of the first. ? Leadoff batter Brent Abernathy laced a double into the right-center field gap off Dutch starter Rob Cordemans. After Brad Wilkerson reached on an infield single, Ernie Young smoked a grounder down the line past Dutch third baseman Evert-Jan’t Hoen. Both runners scored to give Team USA the early 2-0 lead.
But The Netherlands cut that in half in the bottom of the first, and it could have been worse if not for an inning-ending double play turned by the American defense. Both Rikkert Faneyte and Ralph Milliard singled off Kurt Ainsworth. They advanced on a passed ball, and Faneyte scored on a fielder’s choice grounder off the bat of Hensley Muelens. Ainsworth got out of the jam by getting Percy Isenia to hit into a 4-6-3 double play.
Young made it 3-1 in the third when he touched off a solo home run to right field. It was his first homer of the Olympics and third RBI of the game. Team USA made it 4-1 in the sixth when John Cotton (Houston, Texas) walked and scored on a double by Doug Mientkiewicz (Miami, Fla.).
Wilkerson added a solo homer in the seventh off reliever Ferenc Jongejan and Mientkiewicz chipped in a sacrifice fly that drove in Young in the eighth to increase the Americans’ lead to 6-1.
Ainsworth went 6 2/3 innings and surrendured only one run on five hits while fanning three. Team USA lefty Tim Young recorded the final out of the seventh, before Shane Heams allowed a solo homer in the eighth to Dutch designated hitter Sharnol Adriana. Todd Williams pitched a scoreless ninth inning to close out the win.??
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Team USA (3-0) next plays Korea (1-2) Wednesday night at Sydney Olympic Park at 7:30 pm.
Game Notes:
Team USA will play Korea at 7:30 pm on Wednesday night at Sydney Olympic Park
Jongejan faced 2 batters in the 8th.
Tuesday’s Olympic Baseball Results:
USA 6, The Netherlands 2
Cuba 6, Korea 5
Japan 7, Australia 3
Italy 13, South Africa 0
Current Standings through day three of competition:
USA 3-0
Cuba 3-0
Japan 2-1
Australia 1-2
Korea 1-2
The Netherlands 1-2
Italy 1-2
South Africa 0-3