'Lotte alumnus Kim Do-kyu records save over 2 innings + Sim Jae-min earns hold' Ulsan Whales defeat Japanese independent selection team, cruising in 2nd place → Maintains 2nd spot in Fall League

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

The Ulsan Whales leveraged their focus in both offense and defense to defeat the Japanese independent selection team, continuing their strong run at the top of the Fall League standings.

On the 23rd, at Ulsan Munsu Baseball Stadium, the Ulsan Whales secured a narrow 3-2 victory over the Japanese independent selection team in their matchup. With this win, the Ulsan Whales improved to a 4-1-1 record in the tournament, firmly holding onto their sole 2nd place position.

Ulsan took the early lead. In the bottom of the 2nd inning, with runners on first and second base following a single by No. 5 hitter Lee Min-seok and a walk by No. 6 hitter Kim Su-in, No. 8 batter Kim Seong-gyun stepped up as the go-to hitter. Kim Seong-gyun crushed a low fastball at 142 km/h from opposing starter Chiwaki, hitting a two-run RBI double that cut right through the gap between center and right field to take a 2-0 lead.

There were moments of danger. Jo Jun-hyuk, who took the mound in the top of the 5th inning following starter Lee Ui-tae, committed an error on a pickoff attempt at first base with runners on first and third, allowing runner Ueno to score from third base, narrowing the gap to 2-1.

However, Ulsan showed their focus in the bottom of the 7th inning to pull away. With bases loaded and one out following a single by Shin Jun-woo, an infield hit by Park Jae-hyung, and a composed walk by Ha Jae-hoon, Ye Jin-won drew a bases-loaded walk to extend the lead to 3-1.

In the late-game decisive moments, the pitching staff's ability to maintain composure shone brightly. In the top of the 8th inning, reliever Seo Young-jun gave up consecutive walks, an error by the first baseman, and an RBI hit, allowing the Japanese team to close in at 3-2. With runners on first and second base and no outs, facing a tie or go-ahead run threat, closer Kim Do-kyu was brought in urgently. After handling No. 6 hitter Shimamura's bunt attempt with a flyout, he struck out No. 7 hitter Matsumoto (infield fly) and No. 8 hitter Sekimoto (flyout to center fielder) consecutively, retiring the inning without allowing a run. Kim Do-kyu returned to the mound in the top of the 9th inning, giving up one hit with two outs but retiring the next batter with a flyout to second base to record the save.

On the mound, Lee Ui-tae, who made his start as a test player from Yongin University of Arts and Science, stood out with a strong performance. Lee Ui-tae pitched 4⅓ innings, throwing 60 pitches, allowing 4 hits and 1 run to lay the foundation for victory. Jo Jun-hyuk, who took over the mound afterward, was credited with the win, while Okada and Sim Jae-min each pitched 1 scoreless inning to record holds.

Kim Seong-gyun, the hero of the game-winning double, said in a post-game interview, "Our preparation translated into good results on the field amid the team's upward momentum." He added, "While I focused on defensive contributions during the regular season, I have been dedicated to working with our hitting coach to improve my batting during this Fall League period. I view it as a process to thoroughly prepare for next season and will do my best until the very end."

Meanwhile, the Ulsan Whales, currently in 2nd place, will face the NC Dinos, the defending champions of the previous tournament, in their 7th Fall League matchup at Munsu Baseball Stadium at 4 p.m. on the 24th. The game will be broadcast live on the official KBO YouTube channel.

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

*This content was translated by AI.View Original