Pirates Prospect Has Big Moment For Team USA
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.
