'Can we win for the first time in eight years?' South Korea U-18 national team advances to Asian Youth Baseball Championship final with five straight victories! To face winner of Taiwan-Japan match

*This content was translated by AI.

The 18-year-old (U-18) baseball national team, led by head coach Jung Yun-jin, surged forward with five consecutive wins to reach the final of the Asian Youth Baseball Championship. Having already secured a silver medal, the 'Jung Yun-jin squad' now needs just one more victory to reclaim the Asian title for the first time since 2018.

On the 12th, the South Korean team defeated the Philippines 6-0 in the second Super Round match held at Taipei Dome. Among the four teams that advanced to the Super Round, South Korea was the first to secure a ticket to the final and continued its perfect five-game winning streak since the tournament opened.

South Korea's opponent in the final will be the winner of the Taiwan-Japan match scheduled for 7:30 p.m. on the 12th. The highly anticipated final will take place at Taipei Dome at 7:30 p.m. on the 13th.

The key to today's victory was a near-perfect pitching performance from the mound. Starting pitcher Kwak Do-hyun threw 58 pitches over 4⅔ innings, delivering a dazzling scoreless outing with just one hit allowed and 11 strikeouts to earn the win. The only hit allowed by Kwak Do-hyun on this day, as well as his only baserunner, was a left-field single by Julian Garcia Cruz in the bottom of the first inning with two outs. From the second inning onward, Kwak dominated opposing batters with flawless pitching, continuing a streak of retiring three consecutive batters without allowing any runners to reach base.

The relief pitchers were equally powerful. Yoon Ye-seong, who entered the mound in the bottom of the fifth with two outs, struck out all five batters he faced over 1⅔ innings in an overwhelming performance. Han Gyu-min, who came on in the seventh inning with one out, issued one walk but calmly handled subsequent batters without allowing any runs, preserving the 6-0 victory.

The offense showcased agility and focus. The South Korean lineup generated five hits and six stolen bases to effectively score runs. In particular, Kang In-gyu, who started at third base batting eighth, recorded a multi-hit game with two hits in three at-bats, one RBI, and one run scored, serving as a vital spark for the team's offense.

Meanwhile, South Korea is aiming to win the championship again for the first time since 2018. In the 2018 tournament, players including Won Tae-in, Noh Si-hwan, and Jung Hae-young represented the South Korean national team.

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*This content was translated by AI.