Oklahoma City---The USA Softball Men’s National Team used the long ball to defeat Argentina, 9-6, in game three of the KFC American Challenge Series late Friday night. Chris DeLarwelle (Forestville, Wisc.) had 4 RBI, two off a home run in the sixth inning, to lead Team USA (1-1) past the Argentines (1-1).
Omar Moraga (Tucson, Ariz.) started things off in the first with an RBI single up the middle. DeLarwelle added to the total with a triple to deep right field, bringing home two more runs. Frank DeGroat, Jr. (Ringwood, N.J.) finished the scoring in the first with a double to right center.
Team USA added another run in the second off a single to left field by Tim Hunt (La Habra, Calif.). Julio Gamarci of Argentina responded by doubling to right field, scoring one run. Bruno Montroni added a two-run homer to left field to pull Argentina within two.
But that was the closest Argentina would come. Hunt homered down the right-field line in the fourth and although Montroni countered for Argentina by bringing home one run courtesy of a sacrifice fly to center field in the top of the fifth, home runs by Matt Palazzo in the bottom of the fifth and DeLarwelle in the bottom of the sixth were just what the Red, White and Blue needed for the win.
After DeLarwelle’s homer in the sixth, Argentina responded in the top of the seventh inning with another RBI from Montroni and Andres Gamarci scored off a passed ball but it wouldn’t be enough as the USA held on for a 9-6 victory.
Argentina faces Japan (1-1) at noon on Saturday on day two of the KFC American Challenge Series. Japan then turns around to play Team USA at 3 p.m. on the stadium field. This game will be shown on a tape delay basis on ESPN2 on July 22 at 12 p.m. CST.
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