French (1-0) picked up the win after tossing four hitless innings with five strikeouts. Davis allowed an unearned run on one hit in two innings of work with two strikeouts, and Hurst struck out two in a scoreless seventh.
The U.S. finished 5-0 during pool play.
Catcher Evan Powell (Lake Charles, La.) drew a lead-off walk on four straight pitches to start the second inning. Three batters and two outs later, first baseman Ricky Jacquez (El Paso, Texas) was hit by a pitch. French followed with an RBI single to left, scoring Powell and moving Jacquez to third. Center fielder JoMarcos Woods (Orlando, Fla.) then reached on a slow roller to second, driving in Jacquez and moving French to third.
That knocked Korean starter Jung Sic Youm out of the game. After Woods stole second, left fielder Austin Cousino (Dublin, Ohio) laced a two-run single to center to score French and Woods. Shortstop Francisco Lindor (Clermont, Fla.) then turned on the first pitch he saw from reliever Hyung Soo Chae and belted a two-run shot over the wall in left. Second baseman Kevin Kramer (Turlock, Calif.) followed with a triple into the gap in left-center, and, when leftfielder Jae Jun Bae missed his cutoff man, Kramer trotted home for the seventh run of the inning.
The Americans sent 10 batters to the plate in the second and scored all seven runs with two outs. Korea had to make two pitching changes during the frame.
The U.S. added three runs in the bottom of the fourth to take a 10-0 lead. With one out in the inning, Woods would be hit by a pitch before advancing to second on a balk. Cousino then dropped a fly ball over the right fielder's head for an RBI stand-up triple. Lindor would then drive in Cousino with an RBI single up the middle. Lindor then stole second and later scored on an RBI single to left by Powell.
Korea scored an unearned run in the top of the fifth to make it a 10-1 ballgame. Korea would later load the bases in the inning, but catcher Shaun Chase (Phoenix, Ariz.) gunned down Tae Young Kwon at second to end the threat after Kwon drifted too far away.
The Americans ended the game with a run in the bottom of the seventh, invoking the 10-run rule at 11-1. Jacquez lined a one-out stand-up triple to left-center. Two batters later, Woods drove in Jacquez with a game-ending RBI single to center.
Cousino led the U.S. at the plate, finishing 3-for-4 with a triple, a double, three RBIs and two runs scored. Lindor went 2-for-3 with a home run, three RBIs and two runs scored, Woods was 2-for-3 with two RBIs and two runs scored, and Jacquez finished 2-for-3 with a triple and two runs scored. French was 1-for-1 with an RBI and a run scored, Kramer went 1-for-3 with a triple and a run scored, and Powell finished 1-for-2 with an RBI and a run scored.
Youm (0-1) lasted only 1 2/3 innings and took the loss for Korea after surrendering four runs on two hits. Korea used seven different pitchers in the game.
Team USA will have an off day on Thursday. The championship medal rounds start on Friday. The U.S. will face host country Chinese Taipei at 2 p.m. local time (2 a.m. EDT) at Intercontinental Stadium.
