05/09/2023 1 Minute Read

Hyunmin Cho leads Korea to snatch Super Round berth with 2-1 win over Mexico

The reliever pitched 5.1 innings of one-hit ball and earned the win. The winning run was scored on a perfectly executed bunt by Hyunmin Cho.

Third baseman Hyunmin Cho collected two hits and one RBI. He also played excellent defence, helping World No. 4 Korea beat No. 3 Mexico, 2-1, on Tuesday in the Opening Round of the XXXI WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup. The win qualified Korea into the Super Round.

The Korean defence proved they were ready to play, with third baseman Hyunmin Cho executing a 5-3 double play to end the first inning.

Into the second, Angel Ramirez hit a single to right field, stole second, then reached third on Juan Alva’s fly out, and finally scored on an error, giving Mexico a 1-0 lead.

Junwon Yeon singled to left centre in the bottom of the fifth, driving in Cho’s run and tying the game at one.

Reliever Juan Cazarez hit Tongkeon Yeo to leading off the bottom of the sixth. With one out, Seungmin Lee singled advancing him to third.

Yeo scored on a perfectly executed bunt by Hyunmin Cho. Suengmin Lee reached third on the play but became the second out as he tried to score on another bunt.

Korea reliever Junseo Hwang pitched 5.1 innings, striking out six and allowing one hit. He earned the win that brought Korea to the Super Round.