Prado, Jurich and USA National Team Advance to Semifinals
August 09, 2002 | Baseball
Aug. 9, 2002
Messina, Sicily, ITALY - University of Louisville outfielder Mark Jurich went 3-for-3 with a double, a sacrifice fly and pair of RBI as the 2002 USA Baseball National Team moved into the semifinals of the first ever World University Baseball Championship with a 14-1 win in seven innings over the Czech Republic Friday at Primo Nebiolo. The game was cut short due to the international 10-run rule, and it is believed to be the first time the two countries have ever faced one another in an internationally sanctioned baseball game. Louisville's Lelo Prado is head coach of the US team.
The United States (4-1) will meet Japan (4-1) on Saturday in the second of two semifinal games at 8:30 pm local time (2:30 pm EDT/11:30 pm PDT), while Cuba (5-0) will take on Chinese Taipei (3-2) in the first semifinal at 3:30 pm local time. Japan was a 6-1 winner over Korea, while Cuba eliminated China 3-0. Chinese Taipei knocked the host country Italy out of the event with a 14-3 decision.
University of Houston righty Brad Sullivan (6-0, 0.83 ERA) will take the mound for Team USA against Japan on Saturday. The Cougar sophomore defeated the Japanese Collegiate All-Star team twice earlier this summer in games played in the United States.
Team USA took an early 2-0 lead off Czech starter Leos Kubat (0-2). Michael Aubrey (IF, So, Tulane) continued to swing a hot bat here at the World Championships, extending his hitting streak to six games by ripping a first-inning triple to center field, bringing home Eric Patterson (IF, Fr, Georgia Tech). Landon Powell (C, So, South Carolina) then hit a two-out, infield single that picked up Aubrey.
The Americans then pieced together four straight singles, a pair of Czech errors, and a walk to score three more times in the second. Jurich added a sacrifice fly and Aaron Hill (IF, So, LSU) connected on a two-run double in the third that knocked Kubat out of the game, and it was 8-0 after three innings. Team USA tacked on three more in the fourth off reliever Radek Prochazha, as Rickie Weeks (IF, So, Southern) chipped in a two-run triple.
The Czechs scored their only run in the sixth on an rbi-single by David Winkler. American righthander Grant Johnson (RHP, Fr, Notre Dame) went 5.1 innings and limited the Czechs to only one run on three hits. Johnson (2-1) walked seven but also struck out seven, earning the win. He was relieved by Wes Littleton (RHP, So, CS Fullerton), who worked the final 1.2 innings.
Weeks connected on a solo homer in the sixth, and went 4-for-4 in the game with four runs scored and three RBI. The Czech Republic made a total of seven errors on the night.
For a complete boxscore and play-by-play of this game, log on to www.usabaseball.com and click on the flashing "LIVE GAME COVERAGE" logo on the front page of the website.
For a live webcam of Primo Nebiolo (stadium), updated stats, rosters, and more information about the 2002 FISU World University Baseball Championship, log on to www.cusmessina.it.
Release courtesy of USA Baseball
