GIJANG CITY, South Korea - The 2019 18U National Team finished the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) U-18 Baseball World Cup with a silver medal after falling to Chinese Taipei, 2-1, in the championship game on Sunday, September 8, at Gijang-Hyundai Dream Park in Gijang City, South Korea.

Robert Hassell (Franklin, Tenn.) and Tyler Soderstrom (Turlock, Calif.) led the U.S. offense in the game as both finished 2-for-4. Colby Halter (Jacksonville, Fla.) also tallied a hit in the contest while Hassell scored Team USA's lone run.

Lucas Gordon (Los Angeles, Calif.) started the game for the stars and stripes and suffered the loss after pitching 5.2 innings, allowing just one run on three hits while striking out two. Chinese Taipei's Chien Yu recorded seven strikeouts while surrendering just three hits to earn the win.

KEY MOMENTS

• Chinese Taipei scored the first run of the game in the top of the fifth with a one-out triple followed by an RBI-single to take a 1-0 lead.
• In the top of the eighth, Chinese Taipei added an insurance run courtesy of two singles and a walk for a 2-0 advantage.
• Hassell got a rally going in the bottom of the ninth with a leadoff single before moving to second on a single from Halter and scoring on an error to pull Team USA within one.
  

NOTABLE INFORMATION

• Team USA finished the 2019 WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup with a 7-2 record.
  
• Four Team USA players were named to the 2019 WBSC All-World Team, as Pete Crow-Armstrong (Sherman Oaks, Calif.) earned All-World Centerfielder, Hassell was named All-World Rightfielder, Alejandro Rosario (Miami, Fla.) earned All-World Relief Pitcher and Soderstrom was the All-World Designated Hitter.
  
• Rosario, who won Most Wins after finishing with three, and Hassell, who won Most RBIs with 14, earned extra awards for their performances in the tournament, along with Kyle Harrison (Danville, Calif.), who won the award for Best ERA after not allowing a run in his three appearances.
  
• Hassell and Halter led Team USA in hits during the event with 17 and 13, respectively, while both recorded four doubles in nine games.
  
• Drew Romo (The Woodlands, Texas) drew six walks in the tournament to lead the U.S., while Hassell and Milan Tolentino (Mission Viejo, Calif.) were close behind with five apiece.
  
• Hassell scored 14 runs in the tournament and Crow-Armstrong scored nine to top the 2019 squad.
  
• Harrison did not allow a run in ten innings of work over the course of the tournament, while striking out a team-high 12 batters.
  
• Max Rajcic (Fullerton, Calif.) led the team in innings pitched with 13.1, while allowing just two runs on eight hits and recording ten punch outs.
  
• Gordon (0-1) was tagged with the loss in the contest after giving up one run on three hits in 5.2 innings of work, while walking two and tallying two strikeouts.
  

SOCIAL MEDIA

• Follow @USABaseball18U on Twitter for the most up-to-date information on the 18U National Team and 18U National Team Trials.