By Alan Matthews
September 6, 2005

For the third time in as many games, USA Baseball's junior national team held its opponent to one run as it remained unbeaten with a 5-1 win Monday against Canada in Teapa, Mexico, at the COPABE AAA Pan American Junior Championships.

Stillwater (Okla.) High lefthander Brett Anderson dealt seven innings of one-hit ball, and the juniors took advantage of six Team Canada errors.

Anderson, a key cog on last year's youth national team pitching staff and the winning pitcher at this summer's Aflac All-American game, allowed only a leadoff double in the fourth inning. Following the double, a wild pitch and a one-out walk put runners on first and third, but Anderson recorded one of his 11 strikeouts, then induced an inning-ending groundout to thwart the rally.

"Brett turned in a very impressive performance," junior national team coach Jerry Dawson said. "He knows how to pitch. Getting out of the fourth without allowing a run was huge since we only led 3-0."

Stanford freshman outfielder Sean Ratliff had three hits, including a double during a two-run fourth inning, while first baseman Max Sapp, a senior from Orlando's Bishop Moore High, had two hits.

Team USA remains one of two unbeaten countries at the eight-nation tournament. Brazil defeated Argentina 6-1 Monday to join the Americans at 3-0.

Team USA is competing with Cuba, Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, Panama and Puerto Rico for one of four spots--based on pool play records--in the semifinals scheduled for Sept. 10. All four countries that advance to the semifinals qualify for next year's World Junior Championships. The gold and bronze medal games are slated for Sept. 11, and while winning gold is a goal of the teams in attendance, qualifying for the 2006 tournament, which will be held in Sancti Spiritus, Cuba, is the primary objective of all eight teams in the field.