The real one-two punch of the Hangzhou Asian Games baseball team led by coach Ryu Joong-il was Park Se-woong and Won Tae-in. 스포츠토토
Coach Ryu Joong-il emphasized that Kwak Bin and Moon Dong-ju were “our team’s aces,” and expected a one-two punch performance. Moon Dong-ju or Kwak Bin were considered as starters for the match against Chinese Taipei, the biggest battle for the team to win its fourth consecutive title.
In the end, Moon Dong-ju was selected as the starter against Taiwan on the 2nd (Korean time), and he pitched relatively well, giving up only 2 runs in 4 innings. However, the batting line was silent, and Go Woo-seok, who came on as the fifth pitcher in the 8th inning, gave up 2 more runs, resulting in their first loss of 0-4. Kwak Bin was unable to take the mound until the second game of the Super Round due to symptoms of phlegm.
Although Korea was caught by Taiwan, it was in a situation where it had to beat Japan and China, having defeated Hong Kong and Thailand and advanced to the super round in second place in Group B. Park Se-woong and Won Tae-in, who have the most experience on the international stage among the national team pitchers, were responsible for the two Super Round wins.
‘Glasses Ace’ Park Se-woong started as a starter in the first match of the Super Round against his arch-rival Japan. He was in danger in the first inning with one out and runners on first and third base, but thanks to his excellent crisis management skills, he continued his scoreless streak until the sixth inning. Korea defeated Japan 2-0 thanks to Park Se-woong’s perfect pitch.
Park Se-woong said after the game, “There are now two wins left (to win the championship). I am so happy to help the team win today’s game. “I don’t know if I will be able to play in the remaining games, but I will do my best to be a source of strength to the young players, whether in the dugout or not,” he said of his victory.
He continued, “It was the same in the WBC match against the Czech Republic, and I think I left in an important situation. They chose me to play that important role. “I want to give myself a lot of points by playing an important role well,” he added.
China, which had been on the outskirts of baseball until now, caused a stir by beating Japan 1-0 on the 3rd and advanced to the Super Round as first place in Group A by winning all three games. It was truly a surprise. Therefore, we could not let down our guard against China.
Won Tae-in started as a starter in the game against China on the 6th and showed the quality of an ace. With a fast ball of up to 152km, he pitched 6 innings without allowing any runs. He did not allow a single walk out and struck out six. The batting lineup, which had been stagnant for a while, also heated up for the first time in a while. Kim Joo-won and Kang Baek-ho hit home runs and 16 hits, destroying the Chinese mound. Korea defeated China 8-1 and faced Taiwan again in the finals.
Won Tae-in said after the game, “(March 13) I wanted revenge because I did not have a good result in the WBC 1st round match against China (1 inning, 3 hits, 1 walk, 3 strikeouts, 2 runs). “It was a game we had to win at all costs, and I went on the mound with a sense of responsibility rather than pressure.”
Also, “beating Japan means that they are not an easy opponent to face. “I knew that my offense wasn’t good, so I went into the game thinking that I could win if I didn’t let my guard down,” he said, adding, “My goal was not to give up walks rather than speed, but I’m satisfied that I played without a walk.”
Park Se-woong and Won Tae-in are unable to pitch in the finals. But I am ready to do anything for the team to win.
Park Se-woong said, “The Asian Games are games where amateur athletes also participate. When I was in school, I would throw one day and then the next day. “If the team can win, I will do my best to pitch according to the situation,” he said. Won Tae-in said, “I will cheer hard from the bench tomorrow (the 7th) and make sure I win the gold medal.”