Sports

Greater New York Athletic Alliance feels the heat in opener vs. Team USA

First-pitch temperature at MCU Park in Coney Island Tuesday afternoon was a sizzling 103 degrees, but it wasn’t the heat that got to the Greater New York Sandlot Athletic Alliance players.

It was the team in the other dugout.

The white Team USA jerseys intimidated the collection of New York City-area all-stars at the outset. And by the time they settled down, the United States 18-and-under squad had already built up a sizeable lead en route to an 8-5 victory in the opener of a five-game exhibition series.

“I think they were a little mesmerized at first seeing the ‘USA’ [players] over there,” GNYSAA manager Ken Auer said. “We just tried to stay with them until we realized we could play with them and once we realized that we started swinging the bats.”

GNYSAA scored three runs in the ninth after falling behind 8-2 in the sixth inning. They’re hoping the late rally is something they could carry with them into the second game Wednesday afternoon at Kaiser Stadium on the campus of St. John’s University.

“That’s the plan,” Auer said. “We’re going to emphasize that during [batting practice] tomorrow.”

After the initial nerves and intimidation, though, GNYSAA was done in by 11 total walks and four costly errors. Team USA scored three times in the sixth without a hit.

“We played right with them,” GNYSAA outfielder Luis Perez out of McClancy said. “If we cut down on the errors and I think we would’ve taken this game.”

Team USA starter Phillip Pfeifer (two earned runs on five hits, eight strikeouts and two walks) easily retired the first six batters he faced and the U18 Nationals jumped in front, 2-0, in the second on RBI singles by Bubba Starling and Xaverian catcher Elvin Soto.

GNYSAA tied the score in the top of the third on a bases loaded walk and a fielder’s choice, but, led by Nicky Delmonico’s RBI triple to left, Team USA scored three times in the fourth and tacked on three more in the sixth to take an 8-2 lead.

“We threw the ball around and let them open up a gap and it’s hard to come back against a good team with good pitching,” Auer said. “Every guy they threw out got better.”

Former Grand Street Campus pitcher Felix Lopez picked up the loss for GNYSAA, allowing five earned runs on seven hits, walking four and striking out four in four innings.

“Playing against that team, it’s incredible,” said catcher Jason Galeano from Telecommunications. “I never thought I would get to this level. There’s a lot of talent out there. It’s amazing.”

Team USA is using this series of games against GNYSAA, which continues Thursday at Hofstra University and concludes with a doubleheader at Farmingdale State College Saturday, as a warm-up for the IBAF ‘AAA’ 18U Junior World Championship in Thunder Bay, Ontario later this month.

“They’re very talented,” Team USA manager Garye LaFevers said of the GNYSAA. “You can’t just sit there and throw fastballs all day long. It’s a very good team over there.”

dbutler@nypost.com