TAINAN, Taiwan โ The United States (3-1) suffered its first defeat of the 2025 World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) U-12 Baseball World Cup Monday night, falling to Korea (4-0), 6-2, at Asia Pacific International Baseball Stadium Field 2. Team USA is now 3-1 while Korea claims sole possession of first place in the Group B standings.
Defensive miscues and a three-run fourth inning by Korea doomed the U.S. on the fourth day of pool play action. Despite an admirable start by Jaxon Spray, who worked around trouble in both the first and second inning, Korea took advantage of an errant throw and wild pitch in the third to hand the U.S. its first deficit of the tournament. Team USA punched right back in the home half, however, as Christopher Chikodroff executed a timely two-out, two-RBI base knock to even the score. Similar to the third, a mix of hits, defensive blunders, and active base running in the fourth allowed Team Korea to score three runs and capture a lead it would never relinquish.
Although Team USA fell by four runs, the team exhibited adversity in the face of tribulation and made a number of noteworthy plays. With a runner in scoring position in the third, right fielder Chikodroff eyed a fly ball hit off the bat of Giung Kang and laid out to make the catch, saving a potential run from scoring. Coming out of the bullpen down two and with a pair on later in the inning, Brock Bliss suppressed the damage and fired three consecutive strikes to get the United States out of trouble and flip the frame. Jameson Wilhite entered in the fifth and kept the Korean bats quiet while Mason Bitzenhofer punched out a batter and put up a zero in the sixth inning to keep the stars and stripes in the fight.
Chikodroff went 1-for-3 with two RBIs while Nolan Hatch posted a 1-for-2 outing with a run scored. In addition, Kristian Valadez drew two walks in three plate appearances. Not only was he responsible for the teamโs third hit of the day, but Spray also tossed 2.2 innings and struck out four in his first start on the mound. Wilhite threw 0.2 innings out of the bullpen while Bitzenhoferโs final line included one inning pitched and one strikeout.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Zeros dotted the scoreboard until Korea took advantage of an error and a balk in the third, costly lapses that scored Jeongwoo Ha and Jihwan Park, who reached on a hit and walk respectively.
- Team USA answered in kind in the home half of the inning, as Kai Sappโs discipline at the plate earned him a walk while Hatch registered Team USAโs second hit of the contest to land a pair of runners on the bases.
- With two on and two outs, Chikodroff used one swing of the bat to erase the deficit, as he delivered a clutch two-RBI base hit to tie the game at two apiece.
- Korea proceeded to plate three in the fourth behind a misplay in the field and score one more in the fifth to secure a 6-2 win.
NOTABLES
- Today marks the first time Team USA has lost to Korea in six all-time matchups at the 12-and-under level.
- The 12U National Team has not committed four or more errors in a game since the team yielded four in an 11-3 loss to Mexico in the 2016 Pan American Baseball Confederation (COPABE) Pan Am Championships.
- Despite collecting only three hits as a team today, five players are still batting over .400 for the U.S. (min. seven at-bats)
- Chikodroff is tied for first among all players in total hits (7), while the outfielder is slashing .538/.571/.692 as a whole.
- Over the teamโs past two contests, Chikodroff has driven in six runs for the United States.
ON DECK
The United States wraps up pool play in a contest against last yearโs WBSC U-12 World Cup Americas Qualifier gold medal-game foe, the Dominican Republic. After Monday evening, the Dominican Republic is 3-1 as its only defeat came in an 8-3 loss to Korea. First pitch is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. local/1:30 a.m. ET at Asia Pacific International Baseball Stadium.
SOCIAL MEDIA
To follow along with all the action with the 12U National Team, be sure to follow @USABaseball12U on X and @USABaseball on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and X.
