BARCELONA ’92 OLYMPICS: DAY 3 : U.S. Bats Bail Out Pitching : Baseball: Nevin and McConnell hit home runs as United States beats Taiwan in 3 1/2-hour marathon, 10-9.

It all started with Taiwan’s ritual of staring down the other team two hours before the game. Then the game lasted 3 1/2 hours. There were 23 hits, including four home runs. Seven pitchers were used. Fourteen runners were stranded.

The U.S. Olympic baseball team survived the marathon, and another scare, beating Taiwan, 10-9, Monday at L’Hospitalet Stadium in its second preliminary game in two days.

The United States (2-0), which got outstanding hitting from third baseman Phil Nevin of Cal State Fullerton, right fielder Chad McConnell and catcher Charles Johnson, today will meet Italy, a team that was demolished by gold-medal favorite Cuba, 18-1. The United States is scheduled to play five games in the next six days.

But the United States certainly won’t go into the game overconfident. It has problems, namely pitching. The United States used three pitchers Monday, and after the game, when Coach Ron Fraser was asked who was going to start against Italy, he jokingly said: “Whoever catches the ball when I throw it up in the air.”

All jokes aside, left-hander B.J. Wallace, a first-round draft pick of the Montreal Expos, will start today, but U.S. problems could be in the bullpen. Closer Darren Dreifort, who pitched 1 2/3 innings in the almost-embarrassing 4-1 victory over Spain Sunday, went 3 1/3 Monday, relieving Rick Greene, who threw only 37 pitches after replacing starter Ron Villone in the sixth.

Dreifort showed some fatigue that could be caused by the hot and steamy weather. He allowed three hits, but one was a three-run homer by Kuang Shih-wang in the seventh that pulled Taiwan to within 10-9. Dreifort walked three, but retired the last seven batters.

“We didn’t pitch that well, but we still won the ballgame,” Fraser said. “Our pitchers still battled, and we got people out when we had to.

“Our hitting was the best I’ve seen it. Remember, we’ve only been together for five weeks, and I think we’re playing fairly well. We’ll work our way through this, and hopefully we won’t get hurt while we’re doing it. Other teams we’re playing against have been together five or six years.”

Actually, Taiwan’s team has been together for four years, and 17 of its 20 players played in the Little League World Series.

But its pitchers, especially hard-throwing left-hander Chen Jung-lo, who gave up three runs and four hits in two innings, and submarine thrower Ming Hung-tsai, who yielded seven runs and 10 hits in 4 1/3 innings, were no match for the United States.

Nevin went three for five, with a home run and two doubles, and drove in three runs. McConnell and Johnson also had three hits, McConnell hitting a homer and driving in three runs.

“It definitely was an up-and-down day,” Nevin said. “It was the first really intense, really close ballgame we’ve had this summer. We’ve made some really big strides today for team unity. It was a big game and more than just a victory.”

McConnell’s home run came in the top of the second. Michael Tucker singled to open the inning, and Nevin followed with a double off the right-field wall. Lo then hung a curveball on the outside corner of the plate, and McConnell hit it over the right-field wall for a 3-0 U.S. lead.

“Today, I was just trying to tell myself to stay on the ball more and make contact,” McConnell said. “I’ve been struggling a lot hitting-wise all summer. Maybe this is the beginning of something big.”

Taiwan, using a two-run homer from right fielder Wen Chung-chang, rallied for four runs in the fourth, but the United States, on a run-producing single by Jeffrey Hammonds and a two-run double by Nevin, went ahead, 6-4, in the fifth.

Nevin’s homer started the seventh, and consecutive singles by Jason Giambi, McConnell and Johnson put the United States ahead, 9-5. Chris Wimmer was hit by a pitch with two out and the bases loaded to finish the U.S. scoring.