(Toyohashi [Japan] = Yonhap News) Reporter Kim Kyung-yoon = The Korean national baseball team, led by coach Ryu Ji-hyun, advanced to the finals of the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.
The national team won 9-2 in the second game against China in the Super Round held at Toyohashi Citizen Baseball Stadium in Aichi Prefecture, Japan on the 26th.
The national baseball team recorded 2 wins and 1 loss in the super round, including a win against Chinese Taipei in the group stage, and advanced to the finals.
The opponent in the final is Japan (3 wins), who defeated Chinese Taipei (1 win, 2 losses) that day.
Korea, which lost 0-5 to Japan, a team of unemployed baseball players, on the 25th, will enter the gold medal match and exact revenge on the 27th at 6:30 p.m. at the same venue.
If they defeat Japan in the finals, Korean baseball will win its fifth consecutive Asian Games title.
The game started at 7:30 PM, an hour later than scheduled, due to rain.
The rain seemed to be weakening, but it started to get heavier again after the game started, and the national baseball team played in a somewhat chaotic environment.
Korea gave up the first run in the first inning as starting pitcher Choi Min-seok (Doosan Bears) was somewhat shaken.
Choi Min-seok allowed 3 consecutive hits to Luan Chen-chun, Cao Jie, and Fu Wen-rong with 2 outs and runners on second base, allowing 1 run.
Fortunately, he struck out Li Xiaoyang with the bases loaded with two outs and escaped the risk of allowing a large number of runs.
The national team turned the game around in the bottom of the first inning. Bo-Kyung Moon (LG Twins) hit a ground ball to first base at the opportunity with one out and 2nd and 3rd bases due to a walk by Moon Hyun-bin (Hanwha Eagles) and an error by the opponent, and in the meantime, Hyun-bin Moon hit home.
In the process, Moon Bo-kyung was ruled safe at first base due to the umpire's error, and taking advantage of the opposing fielders' confusion, third base runner Kim Do-young (KIA Tigers) showed his wit and succeeded in rushing home, making it 2-1.
In the bottom of the second inning, back-to-back hits by Park Jun-soon (Doosan) and Kim Ji-chan (Samsung Lions), Cho Hyeong-woo (NC Dinos)'s sacrifice bunt, and Kim Joo-won (NC)'s ground ball added up to 2 runs and the score was 4-1.
Korea, which was maintaining a 3-run lead, added a run in the bottom of the 6th inning when Kim Joo-won hit a timely hit to right with one out and runners on 1st and 3rd base thanks to Park Jun-soon's hit to right and Jo Hyeong-woo's infield hit.
Afterwards, the bases were loaded with Moon Hyun-bin's heavy hit, and Kim Do-young's push-out throw widened the lead to 6-1.
In the bottom of the 7th inning, Dong-hee Yoon (Lotte Giants)'s walk, Jun-soon Park's timely triple, and Hyeong-woo Cho's timely hit added two runs to make it 8-1, breaking the game.
Starting pitcher Choi Min-seok pitched well, allowing 7 hits, 1 walk, 1 run, and 9 strikeouts in 7 innings.
At the plate, Park Jun-soon went 3 hits in 4 at-bats, 1 RBI, and 1 run, and Kim Joo-won (NC) went 5-for-5 with 2 hits and 2 RBIs.
β 26th record (Aichi Prefecture Toyohashi Citizen Baseball Stadium)
β² Baseball Super Round Game 2
China (3 losses) 100 000 001 - 2
Korea (2 wins, 1 loss) 220 002 21X - 9
β³ Winning pitcher = Choi Min-seok (1 win)
β³ Losing pitcher = Wu Anjun (1 win, 1 loss)
