SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic -- Huston Street would not waver. He fought the Caribbean heat, Mexico's mind games and his own tiring arm.

The reliever for Texas gave the U.S. baseball team a gutsy effort Sunday, pitching 8 2-3 strong innings in the Americans' 3-2, 14-inning semifinal win over the Mexicans in the Pan American Games.

And for the second straight Pan Ams, the United States reached the gold medal game with a dramatic win over Mexico.

Seth Smith scored the winning run in the top of the 14th inning on Paul Janish's sacrifice fly to lift the Americans to victory.

A closer for his college team, Street kept his scoreless innings streak alive at 29.

"It was what we did, I was just one guy out there,'' said Street, a 20-year-old right-hander. "It was simple: We were out to fight as hard as we could for the team. We played for each other and our country.''

Cuba defeated Nicaragua 2-1 in the late semifinal, behind a tournament record 13 strikeouts by Vicyohandri Odelin. The gold medal game is Tuesday night.

The first game had just about everything: a home run, plenty of errors and even questionable tactics.

In an apparent attempt at gamesmanship, Mexico's trainer twice rushed to first base to check players for cramps. Then, after Brent Lillibridge's bunt single in the 12th, the American crew hustled to first -- a sign both sides were becoming impatient.

The Mexico team features professionals from the Mexican League, while the Americans are all college players. The teams played in the Pan Ams semifinals in 1999 in Winnipeg and also went extra innings; the United States won 2-1 to earn a berth in the Sydney Olympics.

The United States swept a five-game series against Mexico last month in Durham, N.C., outscoring the Mexicans 42-7, but Mexico brought a more experienced and talented team here.

"This was just a great, great baseball game,'' U.S. coach Ray Tanner of South Carolina said. "I can't say enough good things about how hard they played and Huston's performance out of the bullpen.''

Young Dominican boys, still in uniform from their morning games at a nearby field, arrived early outside historic Quisqueya Stadium to watch batting practice on a steamy afternoon. They got their money's worth -- the game lasted 4 hours, 15 minutes, the Americans' longest game of the season. They beat Japan 1-0 in 13 innings July 7.

Street allowed three hits, struck out seven and walked two.

"There aren't enough adjectives to describe the performance he had today,'' Tanner said.

Both teams missed opportunities late in the game.

Lillibridge, of Washington, led off the top of the 10th with a double off the wall in left field and beat a throw to third on Janish's sacrifice bunt. Third baseman Ramon Martinez then fielded Dustin Pedroia's grounder and threw out Lillibridge at the plate.

Mexico right-hander Edgar Leyva entered with one out in the sixth and runners on first and second, but retired eight in a row before walking Jeff Larish to lead off the ninth. Mike Nickeas sacrificed Larish to second, then Smith popped out.

Micah Owings, 0-for-15 all summer, was in the batter's box to pinch hit, but was pulled for Stephen Head when Mexico brought in right-hander Francisco Campos. Head struck out.

Lillibridge hit a two-run homer in the third inning, but the Mexicans tied the game at 2 in the sixth with an unearned run on Everardo Magallanes' RBI single to center. Pedroia had made a wild throw from shortstop to first that got past Larish for an error. It was Pedroia's first error in 27 games this summer.

Mexico starter Rigoberto Beltran retired the first six U.S. batters, including five strikeouts. He struck out the side in the second inning.

But the Americans tagged the burly left-hander for two hits in the third. Lillibridge drove a 2-2 pitch over the wall in left field for the U.S. team's second homer in six Pan Ams games.

The shot went an estimated 400 feet and after the homer, Beltran picked up a small pebble and tossed it in frustration.

He allowed two runs and three hits, struck out nine and walked one.

U.S. right-hander Justin Verlander, the loser against Nicaragua on Tuesday to snap a 25-game U.S. winning streak, was shaky. He loaded the bases in the first and allowed Mexico to take a 1-0 lead on Noe de Jesus Munon's fielder's choice RBI.

Verlander, of Old Dominion, allowed four hits and one run in 2 2-3 innings.

Magallanes and Carlos Rodriguez each had three hits for Mexico.