The United States scored five runs for insurance in the sixth inning, highlighted by Tyler Austin's two-run single, en route to a 7-2 win over South Korea in Olympic baseball Thursday to set up a showdown with Japan for the gold medal.
With South Korea trailing 2-1, Mark Kolozvary had a one-out single with runners at the corners, allowing Todd Frazier, who had had a leadoff walk, to score.
Jack Lopez had an RBI single to extend the lead, and one out and an RBI groundout later, Austin made it 7-1 with his single to center for a comfortable lead at Yokohama Baseball Stadium.
Ryder Ryan worked 1-2/3 innings in scoreless relief for the win.
South Korean starter Lee Eui Lee took the loss, surrendering two runs on five hits while striking out nine in five-plus innings, but it was the bullpen who let the side down in the sixth.
South Korea cycled through five pitchers in the sixth inning alone, as a parade of U.S. batters crossed home plate for a 7-1 lead.
Kolozvary made it home on an Eddy Alvarez groundout, setting the stage for Austin's single to help Lopez and Nick Allen add the sixth and seventh runs of the frame.
Park Kun Woo had a seventh-inning leadoff single and Oh Ji Hwan doubled as the runner crossed on a fielding error, but it was too little, too late for South Korea.
Earlier Lopez had an RBI single in the second before Jamie Westbrook homered with two outs for a 2-0 lead in the fourth. Kim Hye Seong cut the lead in half with his RBI single in the fifth.
The win for the Americans means they will take on Japan for the first Olympic baseball gold available since 2008. The host nation is looking for its first gold in the sport at the games, while the United States is hoping to secure their first since 2000.
Team Japan beat the United States in a 10-inning, tiebreak 7-6 victory in in the quarterfinals at the Tokyo Olympics, so revenge will be on the American's minds on Saturday. South Korea will face the Dominican Republic in the bronze medal game the same day.
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