Lee Ui-cheon led Gangneung High School to a 2-1 victory with perfect pitching in 5 innings with 8 strikeouts and no runs allowed.
Gangneung High School, which does not have an ace, defeated Daegu High School ace Bae Chan-seung (3rd year) and advanced to the quarterfinals of the Golden Lion for the second year in a row. Gangneung High School defeated Daegu High School 2-1 in the round of 16 of the 78th Golden Lion National High School Baseball Tournament and Weekend League King of Kings Tournament held at Shinwol Baseball Stadium in Seoul on the 22nd.
On this day, Daegu High School, which scored the first run in the top of the first inning with three hits by Gangneung High School starter Cheon Beom-seok (3rd grade), took a 1-0 lead until the top of the fourth inning, sparing Bae Chan-seung. However, Gangneung High School tied the score at 1-1 with bases loaded and no outs in the bottom of the fourth inning, and summoned Bae Chan-seung to the mound in the bottom of the fourth inning with two outs and a runner on third base.
The game became a full-scale pitcher's battle from the 5th inning as Bae Chan-seung struck out 6 pitches and ended the inning. In terms of weight, it was a battle where Gangneung High School lost. Gangneung High School is a team that none of the 10 professional baseball teams' scout teams selected as a championship candidate or a dark horse, amid evaluations that their pitching ability was weak this year.
However, Beom-seok Cheon (3rd year) lasted 4 innings with 1 run, and Eui-cheon Lee (2nd year), who took over the mound from the 5th inning, continued the three-way strike for 4 consecutive innings from the 5th to 8th innings. Meanwhile, Gangneung High School's batting line ran away with a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the 7th inning with 2 outs and a runner on third base thanks to a timely hit by Lee Ji-hoo (2nd year).
Bae Chan-seung blocked Gangneung High School's 3rd to 5th central batting lineup in the 8th inning with 'KKK', but the pendulum had already swung in favor of Gangneung High School. Bae Chan-seung, who hit a top speed of 149 km/h on this day, pitched well with 7 strikeouts and 1 run in 4 1/3 innings.
However, in response to this, Gangneung High School's Lee Ui-cheon pitched perfectly, striking out 8 without allowing any runs in 5 innings, confirming the team's advancement to the quarterfinals for the second year in a row.
When asked how he felt about facing pitcher Bae Chan-seung, who is called one of the Big 3 in this year's rookie draft, Lee Ui-cheon said, "He is the pitcher I really like. “It was good to be able to play against a good senior,” he said. “I only trusted (Gangneung High School catcher) Lee Yul-ye and threw.” Lee Yul-ye, who worked with Bae Chan-seung in the youth national team last year, patted each other's shoulders with Bae Chan-seung after the game. Lee Yul-ye said, “I told Chanseung, ‘The ball has improved a lot,’ and Chanseung told me, ‘You should win.’” “Chanseung’s breaking ball has definitely improved a lot. Chanseung was too greedy at the plate today and was unable to hit the ball. “As he moves up the ranks, he will have to pay more attention to accuracy as he has to hit against opposing ace pitchers,” he said.
Lee Ji-hoo, who played as the left fielder for Gangneung High School's No. 1 hitter and had 2 hits in 4 at-bats, including the game-winning hit, and especially 2 hits in 2 at-bats against Bae Chan-seung, said, "I've been watching Bae Chan-seung's video since yesterday. “He likes the slider, so I think targeting only that one yielded good results,” he said.
Lee Ui-cheon, who threw 61 pitches that day, is required to rest for two days under high school baseball regulations, so he cannot pitch in the quarterfinals to be held on the 24th. Lee Uicheon expressed his determination, saying, “I will prepare for the semifinals, believing that good starting pitcher Cheon Beomseok and good hitters will help us win the quarterfinals.” 한국야동
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