Left-handed reliever Park Ji-ho struck out seven batters over three scoreless innings to help South Korea defeat South Africa 7-0 on Monday at the sixth U-23 Baseball World Cup in Masaya, Nicaragua, STARNEWS reported.
The win at Roberto Clemente Stadium brought South Korea’s opening round record to three wins and two losses in Group B. The team secured a place in the Super Round despite earlier losses to Japan and Venezuela.
Park allowed just one hit during his start. “Opposing hitters could hardly touch his pitches,” STARNEWS noted of the 23-year-old left-hander.
Struggles at Doosan and the Turnaround at Sangmu
Park joined the Korea Armed Forces Athletic Corps, known as Sangmu, in December to fulfill his military service. The stint changed his career trajectory after a difficult start in professional baseball.
He pitched two-thirds of an inning with two strikeouts against the NC Dinos, hitting 151 kilometers per hour.
The following year brought severe control problems. Park posted a 10.29 ERA in eight Futures League appearances, walking seven batters in just seven innings.
The change came after joining Sangmu. Park pitched 39 innings across 39 appearances this year, striking out 29 batters and finishing with a 3.46 ERA. He led the Futures League with 14 saves, earning a selection to the national U-23 squad.
Pitching Dominance Against South Africa
Park retired nine batters, recording seven of those outs via strikeouts. He exited after three frames with a commanding lead.
Four relievers preserved the shutout following Park’s departure. Seo Jun-oh of the Doosan Bears, Ha Hye-sung of the Lotte Giants, Shin Sang-yeon of the SSG Landers, and Eom Joseph of the Hanwha Eagles combined to pitch four hitless innings.
The five South Korean pitchers limited South Africa to a lone hit while striking out 14 batters in total.
Extra-Base Hits Fuel the Offense
South Korea generated seven runs on just four hits, with every single hit going for extra bases. Kang Sung-woo hit a double and a triple, Kim Geun added a triple, and Lee Won-jun contributed a double.
Kang batted .293 with two home runs and 42 RBIs across 83 Futures League games for Sangmu this season. The Lotte Giants selected him in the fifth round of the 2024 draft.
South Korea scored one run in the third inning before adding six more across the fourth and fifth frames. Yang Hyun-jong and Kim Dong-ju each drove in runs with sacrifice flies.
South Korea Enters Super Round with Two Losses
The tournament carries opening-round head-to-head records into the Super Round. South Korea carries two losses into the next stage after falling to Japan and Venezuela earlier in the group phase.
Venezuela advanced with two wins, while Japan holds a 1-1 record. South Korea has never won the U-23 World Cup, finishing as runner-up to Japan in 2022 and taking fifth place in 2024.
The Super Round begins on 13, with South Korea scheduled to face Group A’s third-place team, Chinese Taipei, followed by other top-three finishers.
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