‘Favorites’ Duksugo breaks back-to-back tournament titles. But they can’t pull off a one-two punch. In fact, they will have to take off the chapeau and go to the final, where the most intense game will be played.
Duksugo won 6-3 in the quarterfinals of the 2024 Shinsegae E-Mart Bae National High School Baseball Tournament against Gyeongnam High School at Mokdong Baseball Stadium on Tuesday. After advancing to the final, Duksugo will look to win its second straight title. Deoksugo will face another favorite, Jeonju, at SSG Landers Field in Incheon on May 22.
Jung Hyun-woo, one of the best left-handed pitchers in the tournament, had a big day. In 5⅔ innings, Jeong allowed one run on one hit, one walk, two home runs, and eight strikeouts. After throwing 82 pitches, Jeong was given three mandatory rest days under the Youth Protection and Injury Prevention System. This means he will not be available for the final game.
In the batting lineup, Woo Jung-an shined. He came through in clutch situations. On the day, Woo went 3-for-4 with three doubles, a triple, a home run, a run scored, and two stolen bases to lead the offense.
Kim Tae-hyung, who pitched in the previous game against Gyeongdong High School, giving up one run on six hits and four walks with nine strikeouts in six innings of work to lead his team to victory, batted against Gyeongnam High School. He was unable to pitch due to his 104-pitch count. Instead, Kim went 1-for-4 with a walk and an RBI.
The victory was not easy to come by. Although Deoksugo had an objective power advantage over Gyeongnam High, they were dragged throughout the game. In fact, they gave up an early lead. In the second inning, starting pitcher Lim Ji-sung gave up two runs.
Duksugo struggled to attack the Gyeongnam High mound. They scored one run in the fourth inning. After Bae Seung-soo singled to left and Uhm Jun-sang’s sacrifice bunt, Kim Tae-hyung hit an RBI single to left. Then, in the sixth inning, Woo Jung-an hit a dynamic RBI single to center to tie the game.
The tense game tilted sharply in favor of Duksugo in the eighth inning. With runners on first and second, Woo Jung-an hit a double to left field, bringing home all the runners on base and giving Duksugo its first lead of the game. With runners on second and third, Duksugo added to its lead with a single to right by Park Min-seok and a single to left by Jung Min-seo.
Jung Hyun-woo, who took the mound with the bases loaded in the fourth inning, continued to pitch a scoreless inning. However, he gave up a solo shot to left to lead off the ninth inning. However, he was able to get the remaining outs without allowing any more runs to score and preserve the win for Duksugo.
Despite advancing to the finals, Duksugo will have to play without their one-two punch. Jung Hyun-woo and Kim Tae-hyung will both be unavailable for the final. They are unable to pitch due to 바카라사이트 mandatory rest days. Instead, Ducksugo will have to rely on Yoo Hee-dong, Kim Young-bin, Ko Seo-joon, and Lee Ji-seung.
Speaking to Sporting News after the match, Jung said, “I couldn’t stop thinking about the final. I told coach Jung Yoon-jin, ‘I want to be in charge of the match’. If we had lost today, we wouldn’t have been able to play the next match. I only thought about putting everything into the semifinals,” he said of his victory.
He also expressed his excitement for his teammates’ performance. “There are other good pitchers in our school,” he said. I believe my friends and juniors will take care of it,” he said.
Although he won’t be able to pitch in the finals, Jung, who is also a captain, said he will be cheering from the dugout. “Everyone on the team stuck together even when we were losing,” he said. I was so grateful and touched. I believe that if we stick together as a team in the remaining matches, we can achieve good results. I will support them hard,” he said, encouraging his teammates.
Duksugo also lifted the trophy at SSG Landersfield in 2023. They will have to play without their one-two punch, but if their batting lineup explodes, they could win back-to-back titles. Can Duksugo come out on top this time?