Christin Stewart and Zack Collins combined for seven RBIs Monday as USA Baseball’s National Collegiate Team beat the High Point-Thomasville HiToms 10-4.

In the first game of its Coastal Plain League tour, Team USA jumped out to a 1-0 first inning lead on an Alex Bregman RBI single. The HiToms responded quickly as leadoff hitter Alec Paradowski (so., Wofford) smacked the first pitch he saw from Team USA’s James Kaprielian over the right-field wall for a solo home run to the game at one.

The CNT refused to take it lying down though. With a runner on first in the top of the second, catcher Zack Collins clubbed a two run home run to right field to give Team USA a 3-1 lead. Designated hitter Christin Stewart chipped in with a RBI double in the top of the third, extending the lead to three. After Collins struck again with a solo home run in the top of the fourth inning, Stewart one-upped him one frame later with a three-run homer giving Team USA an 8-1 lead.

Steward and Collins were part of a Team USA onslaught as the team scored at least one run in each of the first six innings.

Down 10-1 in the bottom of the seventh, the HiToms climbed a little closer with a three-run homer to left by Cody Brittain (so., USC Upstate) but that 10-4 tally was as High Point-Thomasville would come.

After the official game ended, Team USA and the HiToms executed an inning-long international tiebreaker. After the CNT scored a run in the top half, the HiToms tied it when Austin Crutcher (jr., Bellarmine) scored from third on a wild pitch. Then after a lengthy at-bat, Trip Dunn (rs fr., Catawba Valley CC) ripped the game-winning double to center field.

The HiToms will return to Coastal League play Tuesday as they travel to McCrary Park to face the Asheboro Copperheads. First pitch is scheduled for 7 P.M.

The Coastal Plain League is the nation’s premier summer collegiate baseball league. Celebrating its 21st season in 2017, the CPL features 15 teams playing in Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia. The CPL has had nearly 1,300 alumni drafted and 95 of those – including 2011 AL MVP and Cy Young winner Justin Verlander – make their Major League debut; while another notable alum - Russell Wilson - won Super Bowl XLVIII. For more information on the Coastal Plain League, please visit the league website at www.coastalplain.com and follow us via Twitter @CPLBaseball.

Contact:

Nkwa Asonye

336-472-8667