Pirates Prospect Has Big Moment For Team USA
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Team USA is advancing to the Super Round in the WBSC Premier12 2024 presented by RAXUS and Pittsburgh Pirates prospect Termarr Johnson had a key role in making it happen.
Johnson went 3-4 with two RBIs that came on a two-run home run and scored three runs in Team USA's 12-2 win over Mexico in seven innings. With the win, Team USA finished pool play 3-2 and beat out Panama for the second spot out of Group A due to a 9-3 win in their head-to-head matchup on Tuesday. Venezuela is the other team to make it out of the group stage after going 4-1, including a 5-3 win over Team USA.
🗣️ We’re going to Tokyo! pic.twitter.com/F0YTJrYhGo
— USA Baseball (@USABaseball) November 15, 2024
The Super Round begins on Wednesday in Tokyo and Team USA will face the top team out of Group B on Thursday. Japan and Chinese Taipei are currently the top two teams in Group B at 2-0, though, four of the six teams still have three games remaining in the group stage. Australia is in third place at 1-1 with its lone defeat being a 9-3 loss against Japan.
Team USA fell behind 1-0 in the must-win game, then with two outs in the top of the second inning and Athletics prospect Colby Thomas on first base, Johnson smoked a hanging breaking ball off of the scoreboard in right-center field to give his team a 2-1 lead.
Two Run HR by 2B Termarr Johnson @USABaseball#LetsGoBucs pic.twitter.com/3Nv4qx6vV3
— Pittsburgh Pirates Player Development Report (@PGHplayerDev) November 15, 2024
After Johnson's two-run blast, Team USA went on to score 10 more runs to pull ahead 12-1 heading into the bottom of the seventh inning. Johnson, who is Pittsburgh's No. 3 prospect and No. 75 in baseball by MLB pipeline, also had a pair of singles and came around to score on both occasions.
The Pirates' middle infield prospect grounded out in his final at-bat of the win.
Johnson has slashed .385/.600/.609 through 13 at-bats in the tournament.
