TAINAN, Taiwan - Dillon Adkins (Mechanicsville, Md.) went 3-for-3 with two home runs and recorded four RBIs to lead Team USA to a come-from-behind win over previously unbeaten Korea, 12-11, in the final game of the opening round at the 2019 World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) U-12 Baseball World Cup at ASPAC Youth Stadium in Tainan, Taiwan.

Team USA concluded the opening round of the 2019 WBSC U-12 Baseball World Cup with a 3-2 record, while Korea (4-1) suffered its first loss of the tournament. Korea finished first in the Group B standings despite the loss, while the U.S. placed fourth.

Adkins led the U.S. offensively after going 3-for-3 with two home runs and driving in four RBIs. He also led the team with three runs scored. Lucas Tinajero (Corpus Christi, Texas) added a pair of hits and scored two runs in the win. Tinajero recorded a .750 batting average in the opening round, tying Japan's Kazuki Takahata for the best in the tournament. Tinajero ranks second in the tournament in on-base percentage (.824) and third with a 1.417 slugging percentage. Noah Meza (Chino Hills, Calif.) stole his sixth base of the tournament against Korea, putting him in a three-way tie for second.

Team USA's Brenden Lewis (Santee, Calif.) earned his second win 2019 WBSC U-12 Baseball World Cup after allowing four runs on three hits in four innings of relief. Lewis joined Chinese Taipei's Yu An Chen as the only pitchers to earn two wins in the tournament. Lewis leads the tournament in innings pitched (9.0) and ranks second with a 0.67 ERA. Logan Shields started the game for the U.S. and struck out three in two innings in the no-decision. Gavin Fien (Temecula, Calif.) earned Team USA's lone save of the tournament after forcing a fly out to end the game. Korea's Taeoh Lee (0-1) suffered the loss after allowing two runs in 0.1 innings.

Key Moments

• Korea jumped out to an early 4-0 lead in the bottom of the first after scoring on an RBI-single and a three-run homer.
• Team USA responded in the top of the second inning when Jaiden Lo Re (Phoenix, Ariz.) scored on an error by Korea's shortstop.
• The U.S. posted its second run of the game as Bryce Nixon (Huffman, Texas) led off the top of the second with a single to third base, before scoring on the next play after two consecutive throwing errors by Korea.
• Korea added three more runs in the bottom of the frame with a solo homer and a pair of RBI-singles to extend the lead to 7-2.
• The scoring continued in the top of the fourth as Dillon Adkins (Mechanicsville, Md.) hit a 2-2 pitch over the wall in deep-center to lead off the inning. Jack McKernan (Missouri City, Texas) sparked a two-out rally in the inning with a single through the right side, before advancing to third on back-to-back wild pitches from Korea.
• Nixon then drew his sixth walk of the tournament, as McKernan scored on a wild pitch. Nixon scored on Korea's fourth wild pitch of the inning to cut the lead to 7-5.
• Korea capitalized on Team USA's first error of the game in the bottom of the fourth to add to the lead.
• Lucas Tinajero (Corpus Christi, Texas) led off the top of the fifth with a walk, before Adkins hit his second round-tripper of the game with a blast to left field to cut the lead to one heading into the sixth inning.
• Noah Meza (Chino Hills, Calif.) led off the final scheduled inning with a single that bounced off the left field wall. He advanced to second as Nixon laid down a sacrifice bunt, before scoring the tying run of the game on back-to-back balks.
• Brenden Lewis (Santee, Calif.), who entered the game with two outs in the bottom of the third, retired the side in order for the second straight inning to send the game into extras.
• Team USA began the top of the seventh with Jayden Stroman (Medford, N.Y.) and Tinajero standing on first and second, respectively, due to the international tiebreaker. Adkins led off the inning by plating Tinajero with a single to right-center, giving Team USA its first lead of the day.
• Gustavo Melendez (Cayey, P.R.) continued the scoring with a sacrifice to right field to bring home Stroman. Adkins then crossed home on a wild pitch, before Nixon plated Lo Re with a sacrifice fly to left field to give Team USA a 12-8 lead heading into the bottom of the seventh.
• Lewis remained in the game in the home half of the inning and recorded two outs while allowing three runs, before Gavin Fien (Temecula, Calif.) stepped on the mound and forced Korea to fly out to center to earn his first save of the tournament.
   

Notable Information

• Team USA moved to 3-2 at the 2019 WBSC U-12 Baseball World Cup with the win, while Korea fell to 4-1.
• Korea secured first place in the Group B standings despite the loss, while the U.S. placed fourth.
• Team USA now holds a 3-0 record against Korea at the WBSC U-12 Baseball World Cup after earning an 18-1 win in 2015 and a 27-6 victory in 2017.
• Lucas Tinajero picked up his fourth multi-hit game of the tournament after going 2-for-2 at the plate.
• Tinajero has recorded a .750 batting average through the first five games of the WBSC U-12 Baseball World Cup, tying Japan's Kazuki Takahata for the best in the tournament.
• Tinajero ranks second in the tournament in on-base percentage (.824) and third with a 1.417 slugging percentage.
• Noah Meza stole his sixth base of the tournament against Korea, putting him in a three-way tie for second.
• Bryce Nixon is tied for second with six walks through the first five games while ranking fourth in on-base percentage (.800).
• Lewis tied Chinese Taipei's Yu An Chen in wins after earning his second win of the tournament on Wednesday.
• Lewis leads all pitchers at the 2019 WBSC U-12 Baseball World Cup in innings pitched (9.0) and ranks second with a 0.67 ERA.
   

On Deck

• Team USA continues play at the 2019 WBSC U-12 Baseball World Cup on Thursday, August 1, against Fiji, before facing South Africa on August 2. Both games will begin at 2:00 a.m. ET.
• The U.S. wraps up the 2019 WBSC U-12 Baseball World Cup with a game against South Africa on Saturday, August 3, at ASPAC B Stadium in Tainan, Taiwan.

• Stay tuned to @USABaseball12U on Twitter and visit USABaseball.com for the most up-to-date news about the 12U National Team.