The South Korea national under-18 baseball team secured a 14-0 victory against Thailand in a five-inning game on September 9, 2024, at the Xinzhuang Baseball Stadium in New Taipei City, finishing the group stage of the BFA U-18 Asian Baseball Championship with a perfect 3-0 record, according to the Korea Baseball Softball Association (KBSA).
South Korea Dominates Group Stage With Perfect Record
South Korea claimed the top spot in Group B after three consecutive wins in the tournament. According to the KBSA, the team opened the group stage with a 2-0 victory against host Taiwan, followed by a 15-0 blowout win over Singapore before closing out group play with the 14-0 shutout against Thailand.
The pitching staff delivered a flawless performance against Thailand, combining for five perfect innings. Starting pitcher Kim Min-hoon worked two scheduled innings and recorded four strikeouts, while relievers Han Kyu-min, Kwak Do-hyun, and Yoon Ye-sung each pitched one scoreless frame, striking out the side in ‘KKK’ fashion.
Offensive Fireworks and Tournament Milestone
The South Korean offense generated 14 runs on seven hits to seal the win in the fifth inning. With South Korea leading 11-0 in the bottom of the fourth inning with two runners on base, Hwang Sung-hyun hit a three-run home run over the left-field wall. It marked the national team’s first home run of the competition.
Managerial deployment during the preliminary rounds utilized the full roster. The coaching staff put all six pitchers on the mound and gave all 12 positional players at least one starting assignment across the three group games.
Super Round Matchups at Taipei Dome
With Group B concluded, South Korea advances to the Super Round alongside group runner-up Taiwan, which finished the preliminary stage with a 2-1 record. Both teams will travel to the Taipei Dome for the next phase of the tournament.
South Korea’s next opponent in the Super Round is Japan, which swept Group A with three consecutive victories, culminating in a win over the Philippines. South Korea faces Japan on September 11 and plays the Philippines on September 12. The Super Round, bronze medal match, and championship game will all take place at the Taipei Dome.