Without its ace who pitched 120 innings, the team remained strong! Chungam High School wins the Phoenix Cup for the first time in 19 years → Wins two national tournament titles... Masan Yongma High finishes as runner-up for the 10th time with tears

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Despite the absence of ace Kim Ji-yul (18), who was responsible for 120 innings this year alone, Chungam High School remained strong. Meanwhile, Masan Yongma High School, which challenged for its first-ever national tournament championship since its founding, shed tears again at the threshold of victory.

On the 28th, Chungam High School defeated Masan Yongma High School 11-6 in the final of the 54th Phoenix Cup National High School Baseball Tournament held at Seoul Mokdong Baseball Stadium to claim the title.

Having captured the Golden Lion Cup in May, Chungam High School also won the Phoenix Cup, achieving a double crown in national tournaments. This is their first Phoenix Cup victory since 2007, 19 years later. It marks their fifth overall championship, following wins in 1977, 1988, 1995, and 2007. They also tied with Cheonan Bukil High School for the most tournament titles in history.

Meanwhile, Masan Yongma High School, which challenged for its first major national tournament championship since its founding, stopped at the threshold of victory again. After losing to Gyeongnam High School 1-2 in extra innings in last year's Phoenix Cup final, they finished as runner-up for two consecutive years. Since coach Jin Min-soo took over in 2020, Masan Yongma High School has demonstrated its strength by reaching the national tournament finals three years in a row from 2024. However, all four opportunities resulted in runner-up finishes, leaving them unable to wash away the pain of never winning. This marks their 10th runner-up finish in a national tournament.

A close match was expected. Chungam High School could not use ace Kim Ji-yul on the final stage due to mandatory rest regulations based on pitch count. For Masan Yongma High School, the key factor was the condition of third-year ace Moon Sung-bin (19) and fourth batter Choi Min-sang (18), whose wrist had been in poor condition after being hit by a pitch recently.

Masan Yongma High School took the lead against Chungam High School, which started with first-year Kim Seung-min (16). In the top of the first inning, they seized opportunities with a ground ball single by Kim Chang-heon to right field and a hit-by-pitch by Lee Seung-hyun. A sacrifice bunt by Noh Min-hyuk put runners on second and third base with one out. Choi Min-sang's sacrifice fly to center field and Cho Chan-hyeok's infield single to third base made the score 2-0.

However, the lead did not last long. In the bottom of the first inning, Chungam High School created opportunities through consecutive walks by Park Se-jin, An Geon-woo, and Bae Jeong-ho. With bases loaded and one out, Oh Yu-chan hit a two-run single to left field to tie the game 2-2. Kim Yun's sacrifice fly to left field added one run, instantly putting Chungam High School ahead 3-2.

Both starting pitchers were removed from the mound early. Kim Seung-min allowed two runs in one-third of an inning, while Moon Sung-bin was replaced after issuing three consecutive walks without recording a single out. Although Masan Yongma High School tied the game at 3-3 with one run in the top of the third inning, Chungam High School quickly pulled away again. When the opposing pitching staff showed poor control by issuing five walks in the bottom of the third, Chungam High School did not miss the opportunity, scoring twice on bases-loaded walks to make it 5-3.

When Masan Yongma High School narrowed the gap with one run in the top of the fourth inning, Chungam High School's power hitting erupted. In the bottom of the fourth, leadoff hitter Shin Ji-ho hit a solo home run over the right-field fence off Son Yeon-woo. This was his third consecutive home run starting from the quarterfinals against Bukil High School. With Kim Hyun-woo's two-run single to left field with two outs and a runner on first base, Chungam High School extended their lead to 7-4.

The game was effectively decided in the fifth inning. A double to left-center field by Lee Seong-gon, a bunt single by An Geon-woo, and a walk by Bae Jeong-ho created bases loaded with no outs. Oh Yu-chan, Kim Yun, and Jang Geun-woo drew consecutive bases-loaded walks, and Kim Hyun-woo's sacrifice fly to left field added one run, instantly making the score 11-4.

Masan Yongma High School used eight pitchers in total that day but struggled to control the game, allowing a total of 17 hit-by-pitches and walks combined. They managed to score one run each in the sixth and seventh innings, but it was too late to close the gap.

Conversely, Chungam High School's third pitcher, Seo Won-jun, secured the victory. Seo, who entered the game in the fourth inning, pitched the remaining six innings allowing four hits and two runs, filling the void left by Kim Ji-yul and recording the final out. Second pitcher Kim Jeong-won earned the win with two and two-thirds innings and two runs allowed.

At the center of the victory was second-year shortstop Oh Yu-chan. Oh recorded three at-bats, one hit, two walks, three RBIs, and two runs scored in the final. He also swept up 12 RBIs in this tournament alone, simultaneously winning the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award and the RBI champion title. Shin Ji-ho, who hit three consecutive home runs, received the home run award.

Ace Kim Ji-yul, who pitched brilliantly for five and two-thirds innings (105 pitches) allowing only two runs against Busan High School in the semifinals to lead Chungam High School to the final stage, received the merit award. With this achievement, Kim Ji-yul, who finished his third-year season, left behind records of 26 games, 14 wins, 2 losses, an ERA of 1.28, 120 innings pitched, and 157 strikeouts, making him a strong candidate for a high draft pick in the 2027 KBO Rookie Draft.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original