High School

Carson Bolemon K's 11, combines with Jared Gridlinger on fourth no-hitter in USA Baseball 18U National Team history

Star high school prospects combine on first World Cup no-no in 20 years Saturday against Chinese Taipei.

Levi Payton

Southside Christian's Carson Bolemon struck out 11 batters in a combined no-hitter for the USA Baseball Junior National Team on Saturday morning against Chinese Taipei in Okinawa, Japan.
Southside Christian's Carson Bolemon struck out 11 batters in a combined no-hitter for the USA Baseball Junior National Team on Saturday morning against Chinese Taipei in Okinawa, Japan. / ALEX HICKS JR./STAFF / USA TODAY NETWORK

Southside Christian southpaw Carson Bolemon struck out 11 batters over five dominant innings and Jared Grindlinger closed out the final six outs for the save, combining on a no-hitter as Team USA blanked Chinese Taipei 4-0 at the WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup on Saturday at Nishizaki Stadium in Okinawa, Japan.

It was the fourth no-hitter in 18U National Team history and the first in a World Cup since 1995.

Bolemon Dominates on the Mound

Bolemon (Simpsonville, South Carolina) set the tone early, retiring the first six batters he faced, including four via strikeout. After allowing a leadoff walk in the third, he struck out two more before ending the inning. He fanned the side in the fourth and added two more strikeouts in the fifth before handing the ball to Huntington Beach (California) High's Grindlinger, who worked around two hit batters to secure the no-hit bid with a broken-bat groundout.

“I was trying to give my team a chance and keep putting up zeros,” Bolemon said in a statement after the game. “It’s hard to lose when you don’t give up a run. It was fun going out there and doing my job and giving my team a chance. I felt like I had my good stuff today.”

Offense Sparks Early Lead

Coleman Borthwick sparked Team USA in the third inning. Singles by Grady Emerson (Argyle High; Argyle, Texas) and Aiden Ruiz (The Stony Brook School; Long Island, New York) set the stage, and Borthwick’s fielder’s choice plated the first run. He later scored on a wild pitch, giving the U.S. a 2-0 lead. Gio Rojas (Marjory Stoneman Douglas; Plantation, Florida) and Will Brick (Christian Brothers; Memphis, Tennessee) added insurance with an RBI double and an error-driven run, rounding out the 4-0 final. Emerson reached base in all four plate appearances, going 1-for-2 with two walks and a hit-by-pitch.

Team USA Holds Strong

Team USA (2-0) threatened earlier in the fourth with the bases loaded, but Chinese Taipei pitcher Yi-Shiang Wang got a strikeout to escape the jam. The Americans improved to 19-8 all-time against Chinese Taipei at the U-18 level.

Bolemon has been particularly tough against Chinese Taipei in WBSC play, allowing just one hit over 10 innings with 15 strikeouts in two starts, including a previous appearance with the 15U National Team in 2022.

What’s Next

The U.S. returns to Nishizaki Stadium on Sunday to face unbeaten Germany in a pivotal Group B matchup. First pitch is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. JST (1:30 a.m. ET).

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Levi Payton
LEVI PAYTON

Levi’s sports journalism career began in 2005. A Missouri native, he’s won multiple Press Association awards for feature writing and has served as a writer and editor covering high school sports as well as working beats in professional baseball, NCAA football, basketball, baseball and soccer. If you have a good story, he’d love to tell it.

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