CJ Sampson delivered a masterful performance on the mound, allowing just one hit over five shutout innings to lead Team USA to a commanding 10-0 run-rule victory over China in a run-rule victory in World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) U-18 Baseball World Cup on Monday at Okinawa Cellular Stadium. The win keeps the U.S. perfect in Group B pool play at 4-0, with one game remaining.
Sampson’s outing was nearly flawless. The right-hander needed just 58 pitches—48 for strikes—and faced only one batter over the minimum. His highlight came in the second inning, where he threw an immaculate inning (nine pitches, nine strikes, three outs) against the heart of China’s lineup. The only hit he allowed was a single by Yitong Li in the second inning. After that, Sampson retired the final four batters on just 12 pitches.
Offensive Firepower Continues for Team USA
The U.S. offense exploded for four runs in the first inning for the second consecutive game. Aiden Ruiz got things started with a bunt single and eventually scored on a wild pitch. Will Brick then smashed a two-run triple to left field, clocked at 106 mph off the bat, extending the lead to 4-0.
Team USA added to its tally with a run in the third inning and three more in the fourth, thanks to a series of doubles by Emerson, Coleman Borthwick, and Anthony Murphy. In the fifth, needing two more runs to secure a run-rule win, the U.S. strung together four straight hits. Jaden Jackson singled and scored on a Jacob Lombard double, followed by RBI singles from Emerson and Brody Schumaker to close out the 10-0 win.
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Notable Performances and Team Stats
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Sampson’s five shutout innings helped lower Team USA’s tournament-best ERA to 0.27.
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The U.S. pitching staff has allowed runs in just one inning across four games, with a tournament-leading 0.62 WHIP, .128 opponent batting average, and 35 strikeouts.
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Five players had multi-hit games: Borthwick, Brick, Emerson, Jackson, and Ruiz.
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Brick raised his tournament OPS to 1.768, the highest among all players at the World Cup.
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Ruiz’s two hits gave him his third multi-hit game in four outings. He leads the tournament with eight hits.
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Team USA swiped six bases against China and now leads the tournament with 12 steals—without being caught once.
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The U.S. improved to 3-0 all-time against China at the U-18 level. This was the first meeting since 2000.
Up Next
Team USA concludes pool play on Tuesday morning against Australia. First pitch is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. JST / 9:30 p.m. ET (Sept. 8) at Okinawa Cellular Stadium.
