USA DOWNS CUBA 13-3

Carson Kelly tossed seven innings for the win and added a two-run homer

LAGOS DE MORENO, Mexico -- The U.S. used two big innings to score 11 unanswered runs on Cuba and win 13-3. After plating four runs in the fifth on just one hit, the offense exploded in the ninth for six runs behind Matt Olson's three-run home run to put the game out of reach.

The USA offense struck first with a run in the top of the third inning, as Zach Green blasted a solo homer to dead center field off right-hander Hector Mendoza. It was the second hit of the tournament for Green, both of which have gone for extra bases.

Cuba came back to take the lead in the bottom of the inning against Carson Kelly. With a runner on first and nobody out, Dairon Blanco laced a triple into right center field to tie the game at one. Blanco would score on a double by Dayan Gonzalez, making it a 2-1 game. The damage could have been worse for the U.S., but a fly ball double play netting the first two outs of the inning prevented any further damage and kept the USA deficit at one.

Cuba added another run in the fourth, but the U.S. took advantage of some wildness by the Cuban starter to come back and take the lead in the bottom of the inning. Walks to Chris Okey and Timmy Lopes started the inning, before Mendoza was replaced by right-hander Yosbel Gonzalez. After the runners advanced on a sacrifice bunt, Cole Billingsley advanced to first on a strikeout when the throw short hopped the first baseman. Alex Bregman lifted a sacrifice fly to right field to bring home Okey, and Kelly reached on an error by the third baseman to reload the bases. Corey Seager walked to bring home the tying run and Matt Olson followed with a bloop double for the only hit of the inning to make it a 5-3 U.S. lead.

Kelly settled down after allowing the three runs, retiring nine of the last ten he faced with the only baserunner coming on an error. The Oregon native earned the win after tossing seven innings, allowing three earned runs on six hits while not walking a batter and striking out four. He added to the U.S. lead in the seventh inning, taking a hanging curveball over the wall in left for a two-run homer off Gonzalez.

The offense pulled away in the ninth, plating six runs and extending the lead to ten. After a pair of walks to lead off the inning, Olson stepped to the plate and hit a three-run blast to dead center field off Eduardo Ferrer. Timmy Lopes added an RBI triple later in the inning, and Adrian Marin drove him home with a single and scored on a wild pitch one batter later to cap off the scoring for the U.S.

Troy Conyers worked a scoreless eighth in relief of Kelly, before Sean Brady finished off the game with a perfect ninth. The win improves the U.S. to 3-0 thus far in the tournament, while Cuba drops to 2-1.

Monday, the U.S. will take on Brazil at Pan American Stadium. Game time is set for 10:00 a.m. CT (11:00 a.m. ET).