The defending champions, North Korea’s North Ilgo, advanced past the first round of the Bonghwangdae after a hard-fought game 메이저놀이터. Led by head coach Lee Sang-gun, North Korea defeated Woosung Baseball AC 15-8 on the third day of the 51st Bonghwangdae National High School Baseball Tournament at Guui Stadium in Seoul on Tuesday. The team, which has been frustrated by one runner-up finish and three quarterfinal appearances since its last title in 2009, is determined to shake off a sluggish first half of the season and reclaim the “green phoenix” for the first time in 14 years.
Gunsan Sangilgo, who won the previous tournament, the President’s Cup, also took the first step toward the double crown with a 12-6 upset victory over Ulsan Gongo BC. Cheonan CS, in its third year of existence with only 13 players, produced an upset by defeating ’emerging powerhouse’ Raongo.
Trailing 0-2 in the top of the third inning, Gyeongdongo started the rally with a double by Kim Dong-hyun (2) and a double by Lee Tae-hoon (2) two batters later. With the bases loaded after four pitches and a wild pitch, No. 7 Park Tae-hwan (3 years) hit the second pitch from Milyang BC starter Lee Ji-hoon (2 years) over the left field wall for the tournament’s first grand slam. Kyungdong’s second pitcher, Park Ji-seung (3 years), earned the win with 3.2 innings of one-run ball.
Trailing 3-4, Cheonan CS scored four runs on five hits in the top of the eighth inning to turn the game around. Top hitter Na Jin-won (2 years) went 3-for-4 with a double, a triple, two RBIs and one run scored. After starter Jung Hee-soo (3 years) was pulled after three innings and four runs (three earned), the next four pitchers combined for six innings of one-run ball to secure the win.
North Ilgo got off to a shaky start in the top of the second inning when they gave up three runs to Woosung Baseball AC, which was founded in 2020, but quickly turned the tables in the bottom of the inning, sending 11 batters to the plate and combining for seven runs on five hits and three walks. They gave up three runs in the seventh inning to take an 11-5 lead, but completed the cold game victory with a shutout in the bottom of the seventh. Jin-yong Lee (2 years) and Jae-ho Yang (3 years) led the offense with a combined 3-for-5 performance with two RBIs.
Jungango’s late-game focus proved to be the difference. After breaking a 0-0 tie with an error in the fifth inning, Jungango exploded for eight runs in the sixth through eighth innings. Gunsan Sangilgo trailed 1-5 in the top of the fifth inning, but scored five runs in the bottom of the inning to turn the tide and win the game.