GIJANG CITY, South Korea - The 18U National Team secured its spot in the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) U-18 Baseball World Cup for the fifth consecutive year with an 8-5 comeback victory over Korea on Saturday at Gijang-Hyundai Park in Gijang City, South Korea. Team USA will play Chinese Taipei for the world championship on Sunday, September 8, at 6 p.m. local time (5 a.m. ET).
Colby Halter (Jacksonville, Fla.) finished 3-for-5 with two runs scored and one RBI to lead Team USA's offense in its win over Korea. He was followed close behind by Robert Hassell (Franklin, Tenn.), Nolan McLean (Willow Spring, N.C.) and Milan Tolentino (Mission Viejo, Calif.), who all collected two hits on the day. Saturday's contest marked the sixth time Hassell has recorded multiple hits through eight games in the tournament.
Mick Abel (Portland, Ore.) got the start for Team USA on the mound, allowing two runs on three hits in the first inning before Alejandro Rosario (Miami, Fla.) came in in relief and earned the win with 7.2 strong innings. Rosario gave up seven hits in his outing and did not allow an earned run, while striking out six batters. The loss was attributed to Korea's Wonseok Oh after he gave up four hits, as well as the tying and go-ahead runs.
KEY MOMENTS

• Korea jumped out to an early lead in the contest after a one-out triple and two RBI-singles made it 2-0 in the bottom of the first.
• The host country added to its lead with a bases-loaded two-RBI single followed by another single that brought in one more and put the U.S. down 5-0 after two innings.
• Pete Crow-Armstrong (Sherman Oaks, Calif.) drew a one-out walk and Hassell crushed a ball over the right field fence for his second two-run homer of the tournament to start Team USA's comeback in the top of the third inning.
• The U.S. scored two more runs in the top of the fourth inning to pull within one when McLean knocked an RBI-single to left that scored Halter, who had led off the inning with a single, and Jack Bulger (Bowie, Md.) came up clutch with a pinch-hit RBI-single to make it a 5-4 game.
• Team USA's offense once again got rolling in the top of the fifth inning when AJ Vukovich (Mukwonago, Wisc.) reached second on an error before back-to-back groundouts brought him home to tie the game, 5-5.
• With the game tied, McLean and Tolentino led off the sixth inning with a double and a single, respectively, to bring up Drew Bowser (Woodland Hills, Calif.), who dropped an RBI-single into left field that gave the U.S. its first lead of the game.
• A sacrifice fly by Hassell brought Tolentino home to add an insurance run and make it 7-5 in Team USA's favor in the top of the sixth.
• Halter hit a one-out double in the ninth and then scored from second on a wild pitch to give the stars and stripes an 8-5 lead and finish off the scoring.
• McLean came in on the mound in the bottom of the ninth and, after giving up a leadoff single to start the inning, recorded a strikeout and two fly outs to secure Team USA's victory.

• Team USA improves to 7-1 in the 2019 WBSC U-18 World Cup and finishes Super Round play 4-1 with the victory.
• Hassell continues to lead the World Cup in runs scored (13) and RBIs (14) after adding one run and three RBIs against Korea.
• Rosario (3-0) earned his second win of the World Cup with his stellar 7.2 innings of work in which he tallied six punch outs while surrendering just seven hits without allowing an earned run.
• Rosario leads all pitchers in the tournament in wins with three after earning the win in Team USA's games against Spain, Australia and Korea.

• Gold Medal Game: USA vs. Chinese Taipei (September 8, 6 p.m. local time [5 a.m. ET]; Gijang-Hyundai Dream Park; Gijang City, South Korea)

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