'This time, Harim' wins third straight → Overtakes Our Financial to take top spot... 1R title race intensifies [PBA Team League]

*This content was translated by AI.

As the PBA Team League's first round nears its conclusion, the championship race remains uncertain. The leader changed hands again within a single day.

On the 11th at Gwangmyeong Citizens Gymnasium in Gwangmyeong, Gyeonggi Province, Harim added three points by defeating NH Nonghyup Card with a set score of 4-2 during the seventh day of the 'Welcome Savings Bank PBA Team League Gwangmyeong Tour 2026-2027' tournament. With six wins and one loss (15 points), Harim surpassed Our Financial Capital (five wins, two losses, 14 points) to jump from third place the previous day to first place.

Harim started strongly against NH Nonghyup Card. In the first set, the 'Vietnamese duo' Nguyen Phuong Linh and Tran Duc Minh narrowly defeated Ma Minh Gam and Dao Van Li (both Vietnamese) 11-10 in six innings. In the second set, Park Jung-hyun and Kim Sang-a beat Kim Min-a and Jeong Soobin 9-6 in six innings, taking a 2-0 lead in sets. In the third set, Kim Jun-tae secured a decisive victory over Jo Jae-ho with a score of 15-3 in four innings, bringing the set score to 3-0.

NH Nonghyup Card's counterattack was no less formidable. Jo Jae-ho and Kim Bo-mi defeated Im Wan-seop and Jeong Bo-yoon 9-0 in six innings in the fourth set, while Ma Minh Gam beat Kim Young-won 11-6 in six innings in the fifth set, narrowing the gap to a 2-3 set score. However, Harim held firm in the sixth set as Park Jung-hyun withstood Kim Min-a's fierce comeback and won 9-8 in twelve innings, closing out the match with a 4-2 set victory.

While Harim surged into first place with three consecutive wins, Our Financial Capital, which had been in first place until the previous day, suffered a 2-4 loss to ES-Way, failing to extend its winning streak to six games. Having failed to earn any points, Our Financial Capital relinquished the top spot to Harim.

Hanacard, which had been competing for first place, took a 3-0 lead against Hyum On but surrendered four consecutive sets, ultimately losing 3-4 in a comeback defeat. With two straight losses, Hanacard managed only one point and dropped to third place with five wins and two losses (13 points).

Crown Haetae also secured three points with a 4-2 victory over Breakers, improving to four wins and three losses (13 points) and keeping its hopes alive for the first-round title. With the set score tied at 2-2, Kim Jae-geun defeated Antonio Montes (Spain) 11-9 in eleven innings in the fifth set, followed by Im Jeong-sook beating Hida Ori (Japan) 9-7 in eleven innings in the sixth set to seal the win.

Welcome Savings Bank defeated High1 Resort 4-2, extending its winning streak to two games. Choi Hye-mi, who has been on a recent upward trend, secured victories in both the second and sixth sets today, leading her team to consecutive wins.

On the eighth day of the tournament, the 12th, the competition will begin at 12:00 PM with a match between Harim and Hyum On. This will be followed at 3:00 PM by Breakers vs. Welcome Savings Bank and Our Financial Capital vs. NH Nonghyup Card. At 6:00 PM, Hanacard will face Crown Haetae, and at 9:00 PM, High1 Resort will play against ES-Way. Meanwhile, starting this season, the winning team of each round will receive a prize of 10 million won.

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*This content was translated by AI.