USA World Cup Team Remains Undefeated with 12-5 Win Over Panama

Complete Coverage of USA Baseball World Cup Team

By John Manuel
October 16, 2003

Team USA smacked five home runs Wednesday night to remain undefeated in the 35th World Cup in Cuba. The team of independent leaguers improved to 3-0 in group B with a 12-5 victory against Panama in a battle of previously undefeated teams. Catcher Jeff Goldbach (Joliet), a late addition to the team's roster, drove in four runs with a pair of homers to lead the American offense.

Team USA lived by the homer and almost died by it. Former Angels farmhand Darren Blakely (Brockton) got Team USA on the board in the first innings with a two-run shot, but former big leaguer Olmedo Saenz put Panama on top with a three-run blast in the bottom half off Team USA starter Ryan Creek (Jackson). In fact, Panama later made it 4-2 in the first to chase Creek, who only got one out.

The Americans tied the game on solo homers by Goldbach, who first homered in the second inning, and Harry Berrios (Winnipeg), who connected to start the sixth. Berrios' shot ignited a four run outburst as Team USA took control.

After Toby Rumfield (Fargo-Moorhead) and Bryan Warner (Lincoln) each singled, Goldbach untied the game with a three-run home run to left field, giving the Americans a 7-4 lead.

In the meantime, reliever Conor Brooks (Brockton) had come on in relief of Creek and shut down Panama. Brooks allowed just two hits and struck out five in 4 2/3 shutout innings to get the victory. The rest of the American bullpen

Panama got one back in the sixth off reliever D.J. Johnson (Kansas City), but would get nothing else. The Americans padded their lead with some poor Panamanian defense and finished the scoring with a two-run homer from Vic Davilla (Allentown) in the ninth.

Team USA has an off-day Thursday before facing France on Friday.

In other World Cup action, Taiwan crushed Canada 10-2, rallying with six runs in the sixth inning and putting the game away with three in the seventh. Canada mustered just seven hits. Shortstop Cheng-Hsien Chen crushed a pair of three-run homers.

Elsewhere, Japan remained unbeaten with a 16-1 win against China. Brazil upset Mexico 5-3; the Netherlands blanked France 12-0; Nicaragua edged Italy 6-5; and Korea whipped Russia 26-3.