'Lee Jae-yong's final hit' Masan Yongmago defeated Gwangju Jeil High School to go to the Blue Dragon Flag final in 51 years!
Jul 14, 2024
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Yongma High School beat Gwangju Jeil High School 3-2 in the 79th Cheongryonggi National High School Championship and the weekend league King Wangjung match (co-hosted by the Chosun Ilbo, Sports Chosun, and Korea Baseball Softball Association) at Mokdong Stadium on the 14th. Yongma High School, which has no record of winning the national high school baseball tournament since its foundation in 1963, won the ticket to the finals thanks to left-hander Lee Seo-yul's scoreless throw from the fourth inning and Lee Jae-yong's two-run final hit in the bottom of the seventh inning when he was trailing 1-2.
The first point was brought by Yongmago. In the bottom of the second inning, Choi Min-sang attempted a bunt with one out and third base, which was made with the first batter Kim Joo-oh's right double to right field and Je Seung-ha's successful sending bunt. Jin Si-hoo caught the ball and threw the glove to the catcher, but the runner had already stepped home. Yongmago took a 1-0 lead.
However, Gwangju Jeil High School succeeded in turning the tables in the top of the third inning. In Jin Si-yul's right-field double and Kim Sung-joon's bunt success, Kim Tae-yoon hit a double to right-center to tie the game. With two outs and runners on second base, Kim Tae-yoon homered with Park Heon's timely hit to the right and succeeded in turning the game around 2-1.
Since then, a tight pitching competition has unfolded. Kim Tae-hyun of Gwangju Jeil High School, who took the mound at third base with one out in the bottom of the second inning, allowed only one hit from the third inning to the sixth inning, and kept the lead with a good pitch of seven strikeouts. Yongmago continued its one-run gap as Lee Seo-yul, who took the mound from the top of the fourth inning, showed excellent game management ability while getting runners on base in every inning.
In the bottom of the seventh inning, Yongmago took a chance to turn around again. Jeon Tae-hyun's infield hit, Kim Joo-oh's hit ball, and Je Seung-ha's walk made the bases loaded with no outs. Gwangju Jeil High School seemed to overcome the crisis as Kim Tae-hyun induced Choi Min-sang to ground out to the second base, blocked the run with a home throw, and struck out Cha Eun-sang, a pinch hitter. However, Yongma High School scored a low-course fastball from 2B2S by Lee Jae-yong, leading to a timely hit in the right-center, and two runners homered and succeeded in turning the game 3-2.
Yongmago eventually decided to go to the finals with a one-point victory as Lee Seo-yul made it three times in the eighth inning and blocked it until the ninth inning.
ppark@sportschosun.com
