It was a battle of the favorites. Kyungpook National University reached the quarterfinals of the Presidential Baseball Tournament thanks to the performance of Jeon “Idoryu” Mir (18).
Kyungpook National University beat Deoksugo 4-3 in the round of 16 of the 57th Presidential Baseball Tournament (organized by the Korea Baseball and Softball Association) at Mokdong Stadium in Seoul on Saturday. The inaugural champion and most decorated team (six times, 1967-68-70-71-72-74) will try to win its first title in 49 years. The quarterfinals against Cheongdam will be held at 11 a.m. on Sept. 9.
The performance of Jeon Mir, a two-hitter, was dazzling. Jeon came on as the second pitcher from the second inning and pitched seven and one-third innings, allowing two runs on six hits and three walks while striking out three. At the plate, he went 3-for-4 with a home run.
Deoksugo started sophomore left-hander Jung Hyun-woo, who is considered a “future ace. However, Kyungpook National University took an early lead. In the top of the first inning, Kim Se-hoon led off with a walk and then stole second and third base. The third batter, Lim Jong-seong, brought in Kim with a single to right field. Deoksugo fought back in the bottom of the second. After leading off with a walk, Moon Sung-hyun advanced to second on a wild pitch by Kyungpook State starter Kim Byung-jun.
Gyeongbuk head coach Lee Jun-ho then quickly threw a game-changing pitch. He sent Jeon Mir, a two-hitter, to the mound. He batted fourth and faced the No. 8 batter, Kim Jae-hyung. The powerful Kim Jae-hyung had hit a three-run home run against Chungam-go Yoon Young-chul (KIA Tigers) in the second round of the President’s Cup last year. This time, Kim Jae-hyung showed his strength against fastballs. He took a fastball from Jeon Mir and hit it to center field. It tied the game at 1-1.
Kyungpook National University struck again in the top of the third inning. Park Gun-woo singled to right and Kim Se-hoon tripled to right field to make it a one-run game. One inning later, Lim Jong-seong hit a sacrifice fly to left field to make it 3-1.
Duksugo fought back in the sixth inning. Lee Sun-woo led off with a bunt single and moved to third on a throwing error by Jeon Mir. Lee was thrown out at home on Woo Jung-an’s grounder to third, but Park Jun-soon singled to keep the rally alive. Yoo Yoo-jae tied the game at 3-3 with a two-out double to right-center field.
Kyungpook National University had runners on first and second in the top of the eighth, so Duksugo head coach Jung Yoon-jin took the mound. He took out Jung Hyun-woo, who threw 92 pitches, and brought in Kim Tae-hyung, the No. 4 designated hitter. Kim Tae-hyung is another player who can hit both ways. He achieved a no-hitter in the weekend league Cheongwon Classic. Against Wonju in the first round of the President’s Cup, he went 3-for-6 with a home run and five RBIs.
Kim Tae-hyung started the game with a grounder to shortstop against Jeon Mir. He then gave up a walk to Lee Seung-hyun, but fought a full-count battle with Kim Woo-hyuk to get a strikeout and escape the bases-loaded situation. In the bottom of the eighth, the situation was reversed. With the bases loaded, Jeon Mir blocked Kim Tae-hyung’s sacrifice bunt attempt and threw it out on a fly ball to right field.
The tie was broken in the ninth inning. Park Kwan-woo hit a line drive to center field with runners on second and third. A crowning achievement. Jeon Mir, who also took the mound in the ninth inning, ended the game with a triple play. He threw 103 pitches, two shy of the high school baseball limit of 105. Jeon will not be able to pitch in the quarterfinals, but will be available for the semifinals.토토사이트
Coach Lee Jun-ho said, “I expected a tough game. I think the players were energized after the Cheongnyonggi win. I think we won because we didn’t give up after we tied the game,” he said. “I thought it was a one-run game, so I put Jeon Mir in quickly. I was fortunate that I managed my pitch count well. I told him, ‘The ball is good, let’s make it easy,’ and he pitched well.”