'First female player hit, RBI, run, and stolen base in Korean baseball history'! Led by Choi Seo-yoon, South Korea defeats Hong Kong 13-0 in cold game [Asian Youth Baseball Championship]

*This content was translated by AI.

Choi Seo-yoon, the first female player ever selected for the South Korean national youth baseball team, shone on the international stage.

The South Korean U-12 national team secured a spot in the Super Round as the second-place finisher in Group B by defeating Hong Kong 13-0 in the final match of the preliminary round at the Gu Li Youth Baseball Stadium in Hangzhou, China, on the 12th during the '12th Asian Youth Baseball Championship (U-12)'.

The pitching staff achieved a team no-hitter by allowing not a single hit, while the offense recorded eight hits and 13 runs, dominating Hong Kong both offensively and defensively. Earlier, South Korea had defeated Thailand 15-0 and lost to Taiwan 1-3, finishing the preliminary round with two wins and one loss to advance to the Super Round as the second-place team in Group B.

South Korea disrupted Hong Kong's defense from the start of the game with aggressive base running. Starting with a double by Yeo Ha-jun (Bucheon Buk Elementary School) in the top of the first inning, they took an early 3-0 lead. Sung Seo-jun (Namdo Elementary School) hit a sacrifice single to left field with no outs and bases loaded in the bottom of the third, and Kim Yul (Suyeong Elementary School) followed with a sacrifice fly to left field, extending the lead.

At that moment, the first-ever hit and RBI by a female player on the South Korean national baseball team were recorded. Choi Seo-yoon (Seoseok Elementary School) contributed significantly to the large scoring output with a sacrifice single to right field. She later successfully scored after stealing a base and reaching home during subsequent hits.

Starting as the left fielder that day, Choi Seo-yoon finished with one hit in two at-bats, one RBI, one run, and one stolen base, marking her first meaningful achievement on the international stage. Defensively, she made an impressive play by cleanly catching a difficult ball hit toward left field in the top of the fourth inning.

On the mound, Kim Yul and Sung Seo-jun combined for five scoreless innings without allowing any hits. Starting pitcher Kim Yul allowed runners to reach base due to consecutive walks in the top of the first, but catcher Kim Yun (Gadong Elementary School) prevented stolen bases consecutively, diffusing the crisis. After regaining control, Kim Yul recorded four strikeouts over 2⅓ innings and held Hong Kong's lineup scoreless.

Sung Seo-jun took over the mound after Kim Yul and delivered a perfect game with no hits or walks over 2⅔ innings, recording four strikeouts while keeping the opposition scoreless. The national team concluded the match without allowing a single hit to Hong Kong's lineup, thanks to the outstanding performances of these two pitchers.

Finishing the preliminary round with two wins and one loss as the second-place team in Group B, South Korea will face China, the second-place team in Group A, in their first Super Round match on August 13 at 4:30 p.m. (Korean time).

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*This content was translated by AI.