'The youngest ones did it' Park Jae-hyun to Park Jun-soon relay bases-loaded home run explosion! South Korea advances to Super Round as Group B winner... 18-1 '5-inning cold game victory' over Thailand [Aichi Nagoya AG]

*This content was translated by AI.

The South Korean national baseball team, led by manager Ryu Ji-hyun (55), secured a spot in the Super Round of the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games with three consecutive wins.

On the 23rd, South Korea defeated Thailand 18-1 at Okazaki Central General Park Baseball Stadium in Aichi Prefecture, Japan, during the final Group B match of the tournament, securing a 5-inning cold game victory.

Earlier, South Korea had defeated Taiwan 5-0 and Hong Kong 13-0 via a 7-inning cold game. With three straight wins, they clinched first place in Group B and advanced to the Super Round. Now, South Korea will face the Group A winner on the afternoon of the 25th at 6:30 p.m., followed by the Group A runner-up on the afternoon of the 26th at 6:30 p.m., aiming for a spot in the final.

This was a game achieved by the youngest players born in 2006. Leadoff hitter Park Jae-hyun (20, KIA) recorded two hits in two at-bats (including one home run), five RBIs, three runs scored, and two walks, hitting a bases-loaded home run in the second inning. Substitute batter Park Jun-soon (20, Doosan) also contributed with two hits in two at-bats (including one home run), four RBIs, and two runs scored, including a bases-loaded home run, easing the burden on his teammates. Additionally, Jeong Jun-jae (23, SSG), making his first start of the day, went 3-for-3 with two RBIs and three runs scored, while Kim Geon-hee (22, Kiwoom) recorded two hits in three at-bats and two runs scored, helping secure the cold game victory.

Starting pitcher Oh Won-seok also secured the win despite some defensive lapses by position players, pitching four innings (55 pitches), allowing one hit, no walks, and striking out eight batters without surrendering any runs. Another 2006-born rookie, Bae Chan-seung (20, Samsung), added strength with one inning of work, allowing one hit, no walks, striking out three batters, and giving up only one unearned run, retiring all outs via strikeout in a powerful performance.

South Korea's lineup for the day was Park Jae-hyun (center fielder), Yoon Dong-hee (right fielder), Kim Do-young (designated hitter), Noh Si-hwan (third baseman), Moon Bo-kyung (first baseman), Moon Hyun-bin (left fielder), Lee Jae-hyun (shortstop), Kim Geon-hee (catcher), and Jeong Jun-jae (second baseman). The starting pitcher was left-handed Oh Won-seok.

Thailand countered with a lineup featuring Muangkham Naruepol (second baseman), Kayanuma Yury (designated hitter), Chaichuai Natthaphon (left fielder), Nititon Pongsathon (third baseman), Bucha Setawut (right fielder), Ryoto Yusuke (catcher), Saibua Kaew Phiyathat (first baseman), Suwannasang Thithat (shortstop), and Wongsuwan Porawit (center fielder). Their starting pitcher was Clark Alexander.

South Korea hammered the Thai mound every inning. In the bottom of the first, Park Jae-hyun and Yoon Dong-hee reached base with consecutive walks. Kim Do-young grounded out, Noh Si-hwan hit a sacrifice fly to right field for one RBI, and Moon Bo-kyung launched a two-run home run over the fence, giving South Korea a 3-0 lead.

The lower-order batters also swung hard. In the bottom of the second, Lee Jae-hyun, Kim Geon-hee, and Jeong Jun-jae recorded consecutive singles to load the bases with no outs. Park Jae-hyun then targeted the first pitch and hit a bases-loaded home run over the fence.

Thailand changed pitchers starting in the third inning, but it made no difference. Lee Jae-hyun drew a walk, and Kim Geon-hee hit a double to center field, putting runners on second and third with one out. Jeong Jun-jae followed with a single up the middle for an RBI, and Park Jae-hyun added another RBI with a single to left field, extending the lead by two runs. Yoon Dong-hee drew a walk to load the bases again, and Kim Do-young grounded out to third base for one more RBI, making it 10-0.

In the bottom of the fourth, South Korea drove home the nail in the coffin. Thailand made numerous defensive substitutions, but this backfired. Park Jun-soon hit a double to left-center field, and Moon Hyun-bin followed with a double to right field, loading second and third with no outs. Lee Jae-hyun then hit a sacrifice fly to left field for one RBI, and Jeong Jun-jae delivered an RBI double that skipped over the second baseman's head, signaling the start of a big inning.

Park Jae-hyun drew a walk, and Yoon Dong-hee and Kim Do-young followed with consecutive RBI singles to maintain momentum. Noh Si-hwan reached base on a fielding error by the third baseman, and Park Jun-soon targeted the first pitch, launching a bases-loaded home run over the left-field fence to make it 18-0, meeting the conditions for a cold game victory. In this tournament, a cold game is declared if a team leads by 15 runs after five innings or by 10 runs after seven innings.

In the final inning, Thailand managed to score one run. Bae Chan-seung took the mound in the top of the fifth and allowed an infield hit to pinch-hitter Petsuthat. Yoon Dong-hee, who had moved from right field to first base, failed to handle a ground ball cleanly, allowing the batter-runner to reach safely.

Bae Chan-seung then struck out the next two batters with consecutive swinging strikeouts. Later, when Chaisongkram hit a fly ball to center field, Kim Ji-chan committed a fielding error, allowing the runner on first to score Thailand's first run of the game. However, Bae Chan-seung retired the final batter with a three-pitch strikeout. With the score at 18-1, maintaining a 17-run lead, South Korea secured the cold game victory as soon as the top of the fifth inning ended.

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*This content was translated by AI.