'Regional disparagement controversy' Baejae High School's final national tournament ended after just one match... Defeated by Incheon High, 5-8, eliminated in the first round of the Phoenix Cup

*This content was translated by AI.

After much reflection, Baejae High School concluded its final national tournament with a single match.

On the 12th, in the first round of the 54th Phoenix Cup National High School Baseball Tournament held at Seoul Mokdong Baseball Stadium, Baejae High School suffered a comeback defeat to Incheon High School, 5-8, and was eliminated in the opening round.

This final national tournament came after many twists and turns. On June 29, at the same venue, during the Cheongryonggi Tournament against Gwangju Jeil High School (Gwangju Ilgo), Baejae High School sparked controversy by chanting regional disparaging slogans such as "Let's go to Starbucks" and "Tank Day" toward their opponents.

The incident escalated rapidly, reaching even the political sphere. The Korea Baseball Softball Association (KBSA) held an emergency Sports Korea Fair Trade Commission meeting on the 1st and imposed a six-month suspension on Baejae High School's participation in national tournaments. Subsequently, Baejae High School, along with its alumni association and student athletes, visited Gwangju Jeil High School and the National the 18th Democratic Cemetery to offer direct apologies.

Gwangju Jeil High School, which accepted the apology, also appealed for leniency toward Baejae High School's baseball team. Through the Korean Olympic Committee's Sports Korea Fair Trade Commission meeting on the 20th of last month, the six-month suspension was reduced to one month, making it possible for Baejae High School to participate in the Phoenix Cup.

According to NEWS1 and NEWSIS, Baejae High School arrived at 3:30 p.m., an hour and a half before the game started, to warm up. With current head coach Kwon Oh-young and other key coaches under suspension, coach Lee Jang-hwan appeared as acting head coach and bowed his head before reporters.

Coach Lee Jang-hwan stated, "After the incident, both our coaching staff and players reflected deeply. We feel truly sorry. We prepared diligently during the one-month suspension period. We will now present ourselves in a better light." He expressed his apologies.

In a tense atmosphere, Baejae High School managed to create a close contest. Starting pitcher Kim Si-hoo gave up a walk to leadoff hitter Lee Yu-chan in the top of the first inning, followed by a sacrifice bunt and an outfield hit to the right-field line by Gu Bon-young, allowing one run.

However, Baejae High School immediately counterattacked. In the bottom of the first, leadoff hitter Park Jun-hyeok drew a walk and advanced to second base on a sacrifice bunt. He scored when Go Hyun-seok hit an infield single to left field. In the bottom of the second, with one out and bases loaded, Park Jun-hyeok's ground ball to second base created a 2-1 comeback lead.

Incheon High School also demonstrated its strength. Trailing 1-2 in the top of the fourth inning, Gu Bon-young and Lee Do-yoon reached base after being hit by pitches, followed by Kang Dong-chan's home run over the left-field wall. Incheon High School took a 4-2 lead. Later, in the top of the seventh, Lee Yu-chan's double to right field was followed by an opposing error and a subsequent fly out, adding another run.

However, Baejae High School managed to tie the game eventually. Trailing 2-5 in the bottom of the seventh with two outs and a runner on first, they staged a big inning. Im Tae-kang drew a walk, followed by consecutive hits from Shin Jun-hyeok and Oh Jun-hyeok, loading the bases. A bases-loaded walk from Lee Jae-woo and Park Jun-hyeok then scored three runs, tying the game at 5-5.

Baejae High School's surge ended there. In the top of the eighth with one out and a runner on first, Yu Ji-ho hit a triple to right-center field, breaking the tie again. Later, with two outs and runners on first and third, Lee Ji-ho hit a two-run double to left-center field, extending the lead to 8-5.

Unable to close the score gap, Baejae High School concluded its national tournament by bowing to parents and fans who had cheered for them until the end of the game.

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*This content was translated by AI.