'Five-inning no-hit performance' led by Kim Ki-jung, Sangmu defeats Ulsan 8-3 with 'Ha Jae-hoon's two-run homer' to claim Futures League championship! [Gocheok On-site Review]

*This content was translated by AI.

Sangmu Phoenix has claimed the 2026 Futures League championship title.

On the 28th, Sangmu defeated Ulsan Whales 8-3 in a single decisive match of the '2026 MediHill Futures League Championship Series' held at Gocheok Sky Dome in Guro-gu, Seoul, securing the final champion title.

Ulsan fielded its starting lineup with Kim Seo-won (center fielder), Bae Young-bin (third baseman), Ha Jae-hoon (left fielder), Choi Ji-man (designated hitter), Alex Hall (catcher), E Jin-won (right fielder), Noh Kang-min (first baseman), Park Moon-soon (second baseman), and Shin Jun-woo (shortstop). Okada was the starting pitcher.

In response, Sangmu set its batting order with Jung Hyeon-seung (left fielder), Jang Jae-young (first baseman), Lee Yul-ye (catcher), Park Han-gyeol (designated hitter), Lee Seung-hyun (second baseman), Park Gwan-woo (right fielder), Park Ji-hwan (center fielder), Lee Tae-kyung (third baseman), and Kang Sung-woo (shortstop). Kim Dae-ho took the mound as the starting pitcher.

Both teams exchanged runs from the first inning. In the top of the first, Ulsan seized early momentum with a walk by leadoff hitter Kim Seo-won and a sacrifice bunt by Bae Young-bin, creating a one-out, second-base situation. Ha Jae-hoon then hit a two-run home run to center field, giving Ulsan an early lead.

Sangmu immediately countered in the bottom of the first. After one out, consecutive walks by Jang Jae-young, Lee Yul-ye, and Park Han-gyeol loaded the bases. A shortstop grounder by Lee Seung-hyun followed by a wild pitch allowed Sangmu to score two runs, tying the game at 2-2.

The tightly balanced game tilted in Sangmu's favor in the bottom of the fourth. After a hit-by-pitch by leadoff hitter Park Han-gyeol and consecutive walks by Lee Seung-hyun and Park Gwan-woo, the bases were loaded with no outs. Park Ji-hwan then delivered a sacrifice fly to right field to take the lead, followed by Lee Tae-kyung's two-run double down the left-field line, propelling Sangmu ahead 5-2 in an instant.

Sangmu added more runs in the bottom of the fifth. After one out, a walk by Park Han-gyeol and a single by Lee Seung-hyun created a one-out, first-and-third situation. A ground ball to second base by Park Gwan-woo scored another run. Then, Park Ji-hwan hit a two-run double down the left-center gap, extending the lead to 7-2.

Ulsan launched a late comeback attempt in the top of the eighth. After two outs, Ha Jae-hoon's infield single toward third base and a straight walk by pinch hitter Kim Si-won created a two-out, first-and-second opportunity. When Alex Hall hit an infield single to shortstop, a throwing error by the opposing shortstop allowed runner Ha Jae-hoon from second base to score, cutting the deficit to 7-3.

Having secured the lead, Sangmu drove home another run in the bottom of the seventh with two outs: Park Ji-hwan's triple down the left-field line followed by Lee Tae-kyung's RBI single up the middle made it 8-2, sealing the victory.

Ulsan launched a late comeback attempt in the top of the eighth. After two outs, Ha Jae-hoon's infield single toward third base and a straight walk by pinch hitter Kim Si-won created a two-out, first-and-second opportunity. When Alex Hall hit an infield single to shortstop, a fielding error by the opposing shortstop allowed runner Ha Jae-hoon from second base to score, cutting the deficit to 7-3, but it was not enough to overturn the result.

Sangmu's starting pitcher Kim Dae-ho recorded three innings with three hits allowed (one home run), three strikeouts, and two earned runs. Second pitcher Kim Ki-jung delivered an impressive five-inning scoreless relief appearance, laying the foundation for victory. Park Myeong-geun appeared as the ninth-inning pitcher to close out the game. Among Sangmu's batters, Park Ji-hwan and Lee Tae-kyung each recorded two hits, contributing two RBIs and three RBIs respectively with powerful hitting.

In contrast, Ulsan's starting pitcher Okada took the loss after pitching 3⅓ innings, allowing one hit, issuing six walks, recording one strikeout, and surrendering five earned runs. In Ulsan's lineup, Ha Jae-hoon went 4-for-3 with a home run and two RBIs but could not prevent defeat.

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.