Doolittle Delivers Game-Winner to Lead USA by Chinese Taipei, 1-0

Story Links

July 5, 2006

Courtesy of USA Baseball
PAWTUCKET, R.I. – Sean Doolittle (Virginia) fresh off a plane just minutes prior to the game, delivered the game-winning hit with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning to lift the USA Baseball National Team to a 1-0 win over Chinese Taipei in front of 8,525 fans Tuesday night at McCoy Stadium.

Doolittle left the team early Sunday morning to attend the Brooks Wallace Award Banquet, in which he was one of three finalists, in Lubbock, Texas, and did not rejoin the squad until minutes prior to the 6:05 p.m. ET first pitch.

Doolittle left the team early Sunday morning to attend the Brooks Wallace Award Banquet, in which he was one of three finalists, in Lubbock, Texas, and did not rejoin the squad until minutes prior to the 6:05 p.m. ET first pitch.

He came into the game at first base in the eighth inning and had his lone at-bat in the ninth. Julio Borbon (Tennessee) led off the frame with a walk and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Jemile Weeks (Miami). Taipei brought in a relief pitcher to face third baseman Pedro Alvarez (Vanderbilt), and got him to fly out to shallow right. A balk moved Borbon to third and Doolittle then delivered a shot over the leftfielder’s head to win the game.

“I was just trying to make something happen, I didn’t swing a bat for three days and I fouled of a few pitches trying to go the other way,” said Doolittle. “It definitely was a memorable experience.”

The game was a classic pitcher’s duel as both starters fared well on the mound.

USA starter David Price (Vanderbilt) pitched seven shutout innings, striking out 10 while allowing just three hits and a walk.

Taipei starter Sung Wei Tseng pitched five scoreless innings for Chinese Taipei. He allowed only two hits while striking out four in the no-decision.

USA reliever Tommy Hunter (Alabama) struck out five of the six batters he faced in two innings of relief to pick up the win. Taipei reliever Lin Ko Chien was charged with the loss.

Taipei threatened to score with two outs in the top of the sixth with a runner at second, but shortstop Zack Cozart (Ole Miss) made a diving stop of designated hitter Chang En Huang’s grounder up the middle and threw him out to end the inning.

There was a 31-minute rain delay with one out in the bottom of the sixth with the contest tied at 0-0.

The US and Chinese Taipei will continue their seven-game friendship series on Thursday at Coastal Federal Field in Myrtle Beach, S.C.

CHINESE TAIPEI 000 000 000 – 0 3 1
USA 000 000 001 – 1 5 1

Tseng, Lin (6), Lin (9) and Yang, Lee. Price, Hunter (8) and Clark. W- Hunter 1-0, L- Lin 0-1. SV- None. HR- None.