Team USA completed its run through the 2015 WBSC U-18 World Cup with a gold medal after a 2-1 victory Sunday against host Japan.

It is the third consecutive world championship for the Americans.

“I can’t imagine a better feeling than this,” Team USA manager Glenn Cecchini said. “I feel like I’m floating. I’m just so grateful to be part of this. It was a struggle and it was a grind but nothing worthwhile in life is easy. Just to know that we did it and to see the joy in the player’s faces means so much. These are memories that will last a lifetime.

“This is just complete joy and the happiest feeling to realize that we just won the gold medal for the United States of America. Just to think that we represent something so much bigger than all of us, all of the players who have put this jersey on before us, all of the kids who tried to make this team and all of the coaches who helped us get to this point is amazing. We all won a gold medal together. That is something that will last forever and endure forever. These relationships will last a lifetime. It is all so humbling.”

Pitcher Nick Pratto from Huntington Beach, Calif., was named the tournament’s MVP and got the victory in the final.

He retired the first 11 batters he faced. He struck out nine, walked one and allowed six hits in 6 1/3 innings in the gold medal game. Of his 86 pitches, 60 were strikes. In 14.1 innings at the tournament, he allowed two earned runs with 17 strikeouts and picked up two victories.

Braxton Garrett (Florence, Ala.) and Reggie Lawson (Adelanto, Calif.) combined to allow just one baserunner over the final 2.2 innings to close out the gold medal.

The U.S. scored both its runs in the third inning on a pair of unearned runs. Blake Rutherford (Simi Valley, Calif.), who earlier in the tournament had a game-winning three-run home run, scored on a throwing error and Michael Amditis (Boca Raton, Fla.) drove in a run with a double down the right field line. Amditis had two of the Americans’ four hits.

Rutherford and Lawson were both named to the all-tournament team.