Baseball Guru
08-05-2003, 07:18 PM
By DAVID MORDKOFF, AP Sports Writer
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic - Just 10 hours after extending its winning streak to 25 games, the U.S. baseball team took the field again. And lost.
Lacking the emotion that carried them to victory over the Dominican Republic the previous night, the Americans were four-hit Tuesday by Nicaragua's Olman Rostran in a 3-0 loss at the Pan American Games. The team of collegians couldn't find the spark that carried it through an undefeated summer, and it fell to a nation that beat Guatemala on a no-hitter on Monday.
"Olman Rostran pitched a tremendous game for Nicaragua," U.S. coach Ray Tanner of South Carolina said. "He kept us off-balance offensively and their team made great plays behind him. They were the better team today.
"We are disappointed, but I am proud of our guys' streak and the way they've approached the game. We just have to regroup and get ready to play the next game."
On Monday night, Jered Weaver allowed just one hit in 7 1-3 innings as the United States beat the host country 2-0.
"I knew that it would be a tough game, the Dominicans are always tough," Weaver said after the combined two-hitter. "When you have 20,000 people screaming against you, you can't beat it."
Weaver silenced the fans and the Dominican Republic's bats, striking out four. But it was the Americans who couldn't mount an offense the next day.
"We wanted to go undefeated," designated hitter Stephen Head said, "but it just wasn't there for us today."
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic - Just 10 hours after extending its winning streak to 25 games, the U.S. baseball team took the field again. And lost.
Lacking the emotion that carried them to victory over the Dominican Republic the previous night, the Americans were four-hit Tuesday by Nicaragua's Olman Rostran in a 3-0 loss at the Pan American Games. The team of collegians couldn't find the spark that carried it through an undefeated summer, and it fell to a nation that beat Guatemala on a no-hitter on Monday.
"Olman Rostran pitched a tremendous game for Nicaragua," U.S. coach Ray Tanner of South Carolina said. "He kept us off-balance offensively and their team made great plays behind him. They were the better team today.
"We are disappointed, but I am proud of our guys' streak and the way they've approached the game. We just have to regroup and get ready to play the next game."
On Monday night, Jered Weaver allowed just one hit in 7 1-3 innings as the United States beat the host country 2-0.
"I knew that it would be a tough game, the Dominicans are always tough," Weaver said after the combined two-hitter. "When you have 20,000 people screaming against you, you can't beat it."
Weaver silenced the fans and the Dominican Republic's bats, striking out four. But it was the Americans who couldn't mount an offense the next day.
"We wanted to go undefeated," designated hitter Stephen Head said, "but it just wasn't there for us today."