Let the Games Begin - Game 1:

With a temporary fence in place 220 feet away and a seven-inning game in place, San Mateo played its’ first game in a new country. The San Mateo Sister City Goodwill Baseball Exchange Team battled the East-North Toyonaka team, and in the end, the East-North team defeated San Mateo 8-0. The Toyonaka team plated solo runs in the first and second, two in the fourth and four more in the sixth.

San Mateo went down in order in the first. Catcher, Daniel Stathis, took first on a base hit to right in the second with one out, but was stranded at first when San Mateo could not manage to get any other base runners. The third inning brought a similar outcome. With one out, left fielder Connor Ching reached first base after getting hit in the back with a pitch. He too was stranded at first after San Mateo went hitless in the inning.

San Mateo had their first scoring opportunity in the fifth with a one-out triple down the left-field line by right fielder Michael Sweeney. He eventually was gunned down at the plate on a fielders-choice hit to the first baseman by center fielder Sulim Bartok.

A one-out triple to deep center field by first baseman Michael Valdes in the top of the sixth was also squandered when San Mateo could not manage to bring him in with a hit. The game ended when San Mateo went down in order in the seventh.

First pitch tomorrow is slated for 10:30 AM at Rose Stadium.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
San Mateo 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 3
Toyonaka 1 1 0 2 0 4 X 8 8 0
L: Storozinski 0-1; Fallon (3); Rafello (6)
San Mateo Hits: Stathis (1B), Ota (2B), Sweeney (3B), Valdes (3B)