The South Korea national U-23 baseball team will not advance to the medal rounds of the 6th WBSC U-23 Baseball World Cup after falling 4-2 to Australia on Wednesday at Estadio Nacional Soberanía in Managua, Nicaragua.
The loss marks the team’s fourth defeat in the Super Round, effectively ending South Korea’s pursuit of its first-ever tournament title.
Entering the tournament with aspirations to improve on their 2022 silver medal finish, the team led by manager Lee Yeon-soo struggled to maintain momentum during the Super Round.
Despite a roster featuring professional prospects and collegiate standouts—including Hanwha Eagles pitcher Won Jong-hyuk, who has clocked fastballs at 158 km/h—the squad could not overcome defensive lapses and stagnant offensive stretches against international competition.
South Korea’s hopes for a late-game surge were stifled in the top of the seventh inning. Trailing by three runs, the team loaded the bases with two outs following a hit-by-pitch to captain Kim Seong-woo and consecutive walks drawn by Yang Hyeon-jong and Lee Won-jun.
Kim Seung-ju narrowed the deficit with an RBI single, and a sacrifice fly by pinch-hitter Lee Seo-jun brought the score to 4-2. With the bases loaded again after Kim Geon was hit by a pitch, Kang Seong-woo flied out to the warning track in left field, ending the rally and the game.
Australia established control early, taking a 2-0 lead in the first inning when John Lem hit a two-run home run off starter Lee Do-woo. Lee, an SSG Landers prospect who had previously impressed with a scoreless 4.2-inning outing against Great Britain, struggled to contain Australia’s power hitters.
Max Stagg added an insurance run in the third inning following consecutive hits and a wild pitch. Lem extended the Australian lead to 4-0 with a solo home run in the fifth inning. While Won Jong-hyuk prevented further damage after entering with runners on second and third, the early deficit was too large for the Korean lineup to overcome.
The team’s trajectory throughout the tournament remained inconsistent. After an opening win against Cuba, South Korea dropped a 6-5 decision to Japan despite holding a late lead. Wins against Great Britain and South Africa secured their place in the Super Round, but losses to Taiwan and Australia have left them at the bottom of the current standings.
South Korea will play its final Super Round match against Puerto Rico on Friday at 3:00 a.m. KST. A victory would allow South Korea to move past Puerto Rico in the final standings based on the head-to-head tiebreaker rule, placing them fifth overall. A loss would confirm a sixth-place finish for the tournament. The match will be broadcast via SPOTV Prime and SPOTV NOW.
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