Tiffee put Team USA on the board in the first inning with a two-run shot to right field to lead 2-0 early. Both teams exchanged outs until the eighth inning before the U.S. added six runs to its lead.
Daniel Descalso and Tiffee hit back-to-back RBI singles to put the U.S. up 5-0. Josh Kroeger then slammed a three-run homer into the right field bleachers as Team USA capped its scoring for an 8-0 victory.
U.S. starter Reckling (1-0) pitched seven complete innings, allowing three hits and striking out 11 batters for the win. Ehren Wassermann and Cedrick Bowers struck out one batter each in the eighth inning and B.J. Rosenberg closed out the game, striking out the side in the ninth.
In addition to Reckling's record strikeout performance, U.S. pitchers Wassermann, Bowers and Rosenberg joined him to collectively break the USA Baseball World Cup record for strikeouts in a game with 16.
Team USA finished Pool E with a 2-1 record and will head to either Italy or the Netherlands for Round 2 of the 2009 IBAF Baseball World Cup. Round 2 coverage will begin Sunday, September 13, 2009.
Game Notes:
The attendance was announced at 5,900 for the afternoon.
The game lasted 2 hours and 32 minutes.
Trevor Reckling struck out 11 Chinese batters to break the USA Baseball World Cup Record for the most strikeouts in a game by a single pitcher. The previous record (10) was held by Hank Woodman (2003) and Ben McDonald (1988).
The U.S. pitching staff collectively broke the USA Baseball World Cup Record for the most strikeouts in a game with 16. The previous record of 14 was set against Brazil at the 2003 Baseball World Cup.
USA Baseball Professional Teams now hold a 3-0 all-time record versus China. Team USA defeated the Chinese National Team in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games (9-1) and in the 2003 World Cup (4-1).
