*This content was translated by AI.
The U-18 national team competing in the 14th Asian Youth Baseball Championship secured a favorable position for advancing to the finals by defeating their archrival Japan with a comeback victory.
Deoksu High School head coach Jung Yun-jin (55) led Lee Kkeu-neun (CEO) to a 3-2 victory over Japan in the first game of the Super Round held at Taipei Dome in Taiwan on the 11th.
Japan initially seized control of the momentum. In the bottom of the first inning with one out and no runners on base, starting pitcher Park Geun-seo (Seoul Design High School) allowed an infield hit to Ishida Yusei. Following Ishida's stolen base, Ono Shusuke hit a double with one out and a runner on second, followed by Manya Kenshin's single, giving Japan an early 2-0 lead.
The tide turned in the bottom of the second inning as Park Geun-seo escaped the crisis. After issuing a walk to the leadoff batter and allowing a sacrifice bunt that placed a runner on second with one out, he faced another critical situation when Yoon Ye-seong (Inchang High School) allowed consecutive walks, loading the bases with one out. Entering the game in this high-pressure moment, Kim Min-hoon (Gwangju Jinheung High School) neutralized Japan's top two batters by throwing outside-changeups that drifted away, striking them out and preserving a scoreless inning.
Opportunities followed the crisis. In the top of the third inning, leadoff batter Park Bo-seung (Gyeongnam High School) recorded his first hit of the day. He scored in the top of the fourth with no runners on base and two outs. Fourth-order batter Lee Ho-min (Gyeongnam High School) then launched a solo home run over the left-field fence.
Another crisis struck in the bottom of the fourth inning. With two outs and a runner on first base, Ishida Yusei hit a powerful ball toward center-left field, but center fielder Park Bo-seung made an impressive diving catch to secure the out.
Starting from the bottom of the fifth inning, Ha Hyun-seung (Busan High School) took the mound for a full-scale effort. Having thrown exactly 90 pitches—the limit—in a match against Taiwan four days prior, Ha returned after three days of rest and recorded a maximum velocity of 150 km/h on the scoreboard. He dominated Japan's core lineup with two strikeouts, retiring all three batters in order to complete the inning without allowing any runs.
Finally, the team achieved the comeback in the top of the sixth inning. Leadoff batter Jo Hee-sung drew a walk to start the rally, and Hwang Sung-hyun (Deoksu High School) successfully executed a sacrifice bunt. Eom Jun-sang (Deoksu High School), who had been batting at just 0.125 (1 hit in 8 at-bats) throughout the tournament up to that point, delivered a crucial two-run double down the left-center field gap to tie the game. Following this, Lee Ho-min, the hero of the earlier solo home run, added a go-ahead two-hit double toward left field.
Ha Hyun-seung recorded one strikeout in the bottom of the sixth and two more in the bottom of the seventh, pitching three innings without allowing a single hit while striking out five batters, once again earning the victory as the winning pitcher.
Kim Min-hoon's performance was equally dazzling. Entering the game with high pressure in the bottom of the second inning with one out and bases loaded, he pitched 2⅔ innings, allowing only one hit while striking out two batters without surrendering any runs. At the plate, Lee Ho-min and Park Bo-seung each recorded multi-hit performances, while Eom Jun-sang also delivered a game-tying RBI single to lead the team to victory.
The national team has essentially secured its spot in the finals. After defeating Taiwan in the first Group B match of the preliminary round on the 7th, they entered the Super Round with one win. By also defeating Japan from Group A, they now hold two wins in the Super Round, leaving only a final match against the weaker Philippines scheduled for the 12th. With a perfect record in the Super Round, they aim to advance to the championship game.
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*This content was translated by AI.
