Gongju Advances in Baseball Tourney

Korea’s Golden Lion National High School Baseball Tournament could have witnessed another no-hit shutout game for the first time since the one by Roh Gil-sang of Sungnam High at the 24th Tournaments in 1970, but missed the chance.

At the quarterfinal match on July 5 between Gongju High and Seoul High in Dongdaemun Stadium, Gongju starter Lee Woong-han did not allow a hit until the end of the bottom of the seventh inning. The audience was excited. In the eighth inning, the first batter Kim Jun-hee grounded out. Lee was just five outs away from the historic record. But when the eighth hitter Kim Hui-ryon came into the batter box, the 36-year wait ended in vain. Lee’s second fastball after a strike was high and down the middle, and Kim did not miss it and knocked a clean hit into right center.

Lee looked disappointed momentarily but did not lose his self-control. He did not allow another hit until the end of the game.

He recorded a shutout victory though, with one hit, one walk, and seven strike outs, throwing 131 pitches in nine innings. He flashed 143 km/h fastballs and beautiful sliders that cut in on righties.

In addition to the impressive pitching, Lee also played a key role as a batter. In the bottom of the fifth inning, the score was still 0-0. With a runner on first base with no outs, Lee hit a double that scored the game-winning run. Lee used to be a shortstop until his first year in high school.

With the narrow 1-0 victory, Gongju High made the semifinals.

Gongju won two games with 1-0 scores in the tournament, both shutout wins by its pitchers. In the second game with Gunsan Commercial High School on July 3, Kim Tae-sik of Gongju also recorded a shutout win, allowing no runs and only three hits.

Seung-Kun Lee uni@donga.com why@donga.com