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[Baseball] Korea Defeats South Africa in Olympic Qualifier

[Baseball] Korea Defeats South Africa in Olympic Qualifier

Posted March. 08, 2008 04:26,   

한국어

“The first step is the most important.”

Coach of the Korean national baseball team Kim Gyeong-moon said he thought the game against South Africa on Friday, the first qualifier for the Beijing Olympics, was a warm up before the team’s match against Australia on Saturday and Mexico on Sunday. So far, South Korea has defeated South Africa all three times. He had planned to take advantage of the game to try attack and defense skills on the field.

Coach Kim also said that he would use starting pitcher Kim Sun-woo (Doosan) as a relief pitcher. Kim will be the starting pitcher in the game against Spain on Mar. 10 and Sohn Min-han will be the starter in the game against Germany on Mar. 12. But Kim could be brought in as a relief pitcher as a crucial closer.

Korea defeated South Africa 5-0 at the Taijung Intercontinental Baseball Stadium in Taiwan on Friday. Sohn stuck out seven batters in six innings with one hit and no loss. Kim had no hit and no loss in two innings.

Meanwhile, Korea’s Lee Seung-yeop, Kim Dong-joo, and Lee Dae-ho showed off their batting skills.

Third-baseman Lee Seung-yeop in the first inning hit and ran a double on the fifth ball of South Africa’s starting pitcher Robert Verschuren. But No. 4 Kim Dong-joo and No.5 Lee Dae-ho struck out, failing to score a run.

First-baseman Kim Dong-joo in the third inning hit and ran a double, bringing Ko Yeong-min home. Lee Dae-ho scored by hitting a double. Leading off in the eighth inning, Kim, 3-0, hit and ran a double, allowing Lee Taek-geun to score a run. Korea scored one point in the ninth inning thanks to Lee Jin Yeong’s double.

Canada defeated Mexico 15-10 after a close match on the same day.

Korea has the next match against rival Australia at the same stadium at 7:30 p.m., Saturday.



beetlez@donga.com