*This content was translated by AI.
Kim Min-hoon (18, Gwangju Jinheung High) became the hero of a dramatic comeback victory against Japan. He has emerged as a top candidate for the first round of the upcoming rookie draft.
On the 11th at Taipei Dome in Taiwan, Kim Min-hoon entered the game in the bottom of the second inning with one out and bases loaded during the first match of the Super Round against Japan at the 14th Asian Youth Baseball Championship. He pitched 2⅔ innings, allowing just one hit, issuing one walk, and recording two strikeouts.
Entering the game in a crisis situation in the bottom of the second inning with one out and bases loaded while his team trailed 0-2, Kim Min-hoon threw his signature changeup against Japan's second and third batters, striking them out consecutively to end the inning.
Kim returned in the bottom of the third inning, issuing a walk to Ikeda Shoma but retired the other three batters on weak contact. After trailing by one run in the top of the fourth, he faced the leadoff batter in the bottom of the fourth and allowed a hit, but then cleanly retired the next three batters before handing over the ball to Ha Hyun-seung (Busan High) starting from the fifth inning.
The lineup managed to tie the game in the top of the sixth, and Ha Hyun-seung shut down the opposition for three innings to secure a stunning comeback victory. While Ha Hyun-seung earned his second win following the match against Taiwan, and Lee Ho-min (Gyeongnam High) drove in two runs alone, Coach Jung Yoon-jin highlighted Kim Min-hoon as the standout performer.
Coach Jung said, "In today's game, Kim Min-hoon's performance was most crucial. He stepped up in a crisis situation with one out and bases loaded after giving up two runs, preventing further damage. Had the score gap widened from there, the game would have been difficult. Thanks to Min-hoon holding the line, our lineup was able to break through and secure the victory."
Kim Min-hoon shared, "Honestly, I was disappointed that I didn't get many opportunities, but I gave it my all with the mindset of making the most of this chance, and I'm very happy with the positive outcome."
Kim added, "Our team has experienced situations like this many times. If we become intimidated, the results only get worse, so I believe that pitching confidently and aggressively led to the good result. Since it's difficult for our team to overcome a two-run deficit even considering all possibilities, I went up to the mound with the intention of doing my best to prevent further damage."
He continued, "It was an important situation, so I was nervous, but if negative outcomes occurred, we could have collapsed. Therefore, I pitched confidently with a positive mindset. I believe that not avoiding the batter and pitching aggressively was effective. With changeup as my strength, I trusted it and threw accordingly. The Japanese batters seemed to focus on precision rather than overpowering force. My goal was to pitch to specific locations rather than trying to intimidate with power, ensuring they couldn't make solid contact, and that resulted in a good outcome."
After retiring the bases-loaded situation, he said, "I received many compliments. Everyone called me 'the guy you can always count on' and said I was reliable. I believed Ha Hyun-seung would finish strong until the end."
Looking at his team's comeback, Kim Min-hoon said, "I was doing extra training when I heard the news, so I jumped out of excitement. Since it was a Korea-Japan game, I'm extremely happy that we won."
After the game, the national team bowed to the spectators. Explaining the gesture, he said, "We usually greet the crowd, but since this was a Korea-Japan match, Eom Jun-sang suggested bowing formally as a stylish way to conclude the event."
Kim Min-hoon, who gained greater attention following his strong performance against Japan, stated, "It's incredibly joyful that I could perform well in a Korea-Japan game I had only imagined. Although there are more games remaining, I hope we can win the championship building on today's momentum."
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*This content was translated by AI.
