'Our Neighborhood Baseball Captain' Concludes 12-Week Journey.. Kim Tae-kyun Secures First Win [Comprehensive]

*This content was translated by AI.

'Our Neighborhood Baseball Captain' concluded its 12-week journey alongside a fateful "character deletion" game. Under the leadership of Coach Kim Tae-kyun, the 'Little Eagles' secured their first victory against Coach Na Ji-wan's 'Little Tigers'.

In the 12th episode of KBS 2TV's sports reality show 'Our Neighborhood Baseball Captain' (planned by Kim Sang-mi, directed by Lee Jeong-wook), which aired on the 28th, the final game of the season, dubbed the "character deletion" match, was held. Coach Kim Tae-kyun's 'Little Eagles' finally achieved their first win against Coach Na Ji-wan's 'Little Tigers'.

Facing the "character deletion" game, where a loss would mean disqualification from the next season, the third- and fourth-place coaches in the regular league, Na Ji-wan and Kim Tae-kyun, guided their players with training more intense than ever. Coach Kim Tae-kyun emphasized "running baseball" and, stating, "The final game can be won like a miracle," sprinkled salt directly onto the players to break their losing streak and prayed for the 'Miracle Eagles'.

Coach Na Ji-wan, whose 'Little Tigers' had defeated the 'Little Eagles' twice during the regular league, stated, "We will do our best to finish with a flourish. We are in a state full of confidence." The 'Little Tigers' players even wrote their resolve directly on their own hats, burning with passion.

In the top of the first inning, the 'Little Tigers' sent in Kim Jun-young, known for his good control, as the starting pitcher. The 'Little Eagles' began with a hit by leadoff batter Shin Hyun-woo, shaking the opposing defense and scoring the first run. Coach Kim Tae-kyun continuously instructed base-stealing tactics, putting the pitcher on edge, and the 'Little Eagles' took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first.

In the bottom of the first, the 'Little Eagles' had Kim Sun-ryul make his first start of the season as the pitcher. However, 'Little Tigers' captain Kang Yu-han turned the tide with a three-run, go-ahead home run. Park Yong-taek and Lee Dae-ho marveled at the home run, and Kang Yu-han shared positive energy with his teammates, saying, "If we win, everyone is an MVP." The 'Little Eagles' brought in firefighter Park Si-hyeok as the second pitcher, but the 'Little Tigers' added another run on Na Ho-jun's extra-base hit, ending the first inning with a 4-2 score.

In the top of the second, Coach Kim Tae-kyun continued his "small ball" strategy to score runs, but the 'Little Tigers' escaped the crisis with the first "4-6-3 double play" in 'Our Neighborhood Baseball Captain', involving the second baseman, shortstop, and first baseman. In the following bottom of the second, the 'Little Eagles' also maintained strong defense, and both teams finished the inning without scoring.

In the top of the third, the 'Little Tigers' brought in third-year student Park Do-hyun, Coach Na Ji-wan's hidden card, as a new pitcher. Despite a pitcher's balk, 'Little Eagles' player Lee Hyo-jun remained steady, continued his attack, and added an RBI. Then, Choi Ye-hoon successfully stole a base with his signature speed, adding the go-ahead run, making the score 5-4. However, in the bottom of the third, 'Little Tigers' player Ahn Min-jun hit a solo home run to tie the game, even with a broken front tooth, returning the match to a tie.

In the top of the fourth, the 'Little Eagles' took a 6-5 lead, starting with a hit from third-year student Kim Jae-yoon. In the bottom of the fourth, 'Little Eagles' reliable man Shin Hyun-woo took the mound, but 'Little Tigers' player Seo Eun-woo hit a tie RBI single, creating the third tie of the game. When 'Little Tigers' Lee Seung-won hit a go-ahead RBI single, the 'Little Eagles' brought in another new pitcher, Jo Young-ha. With the final offensive opportunity approaching, the score was 7-6, and the game remained a one-run battle.

In the top of the fifth, 'Little Tigers' closer Kang Yu-han took the mound, reaching his top speed of 94 km/h. However, 'Little Eagles' player Park Si-hyeok's unconventional steal was ruled a save after video review, shifting the momentum again. The 'Little Tigers' coach went to the mound to calm Kang Yu-han, but since rules limit mound visits without a pitcher change to two, the pitcher was changed to Yoo Hyung-jun. Taking advantage of this, the 'Little Eagles' succeeded in taking the lead with a hit by Choi Ye-hoon. As 'Little Tigers' defensive errors continued, the 'Little Eagles' executed their strategic baseball, scoring a total of five runs and pulling ahead with an 11-7 score.

Before the bottom of the fifth, Coach Kim Tae-kyun tied the shoelaces of 'Little Eagles' pitcher Jo Young-ha personally to steady his nerves. As Coach Na Ji-wan said, "Try until the end," the 'Little Tigers' did not give up hope, adding one more run in the final inning to reach 11-8, but the 'Little Eagles' won the "character deletion" game.

For the first win in franchise history, the players shed tears of emotion. Coach Kim Tae-kyun shared, "Today's victory means a lot to the players, so I feel even more proud and happy. I will share the joy of victory with the fans who supported the 'Little Eagles'." Captain Lee Hyo-jun also expressed his pure heart, saying, "I wrote 'Our Neighborhood Baseball Captain' 1,000 times in my baseball diary out of the hope that the 'Little Eagles' would not be deleted."

Coach Na Ji-wan, who lost heartbreakingly despite giving his all, stated, "The players played well, but my capability as a coach was lacking. I am overwhelmed. While looking forward to the day we can meet again, I will not say goodbye," vowing to regroup.

With the "character deletion" game concluding the 12th-week first season, the coaches and players of 'Our Neighborhood Baseball Captain' expressed their wish: "It was a good and fun experience. We hope for a happy time to come again."

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*This content was translated by AI.