‘0-for-1’ 19-year-old rookie hits two-run home run in Nippon Education League…Samsung Sidearm strikes out 44 batters in 4 innings of no-hit ball
Hanwha rookie Lee Min-jun, 19, hit a two-run home run in the Japan Education League. Samsung pitcher Choi Ha-neul threw a four-inning no-hitter.
The combined Hanwha-Samsung team lost 2-4 in an educational league game against Softbank in Miyazaki, Japan, on April 26.
Following Choi on the mound, Hong Moo-woo (Samsung) gave up one hit and two walks in one inning, Kim Seo-joon (Samsung) gave up one hit and a walk in one inning, Jung Yi-hwang (Hanwha) gave up one hit and a walk in one inning, and Yang Kyung-mo (Hanwha) gave up one hit and a walk in one inning. Nam Ji-min (Hanwha) took the loss, giving up two runs on two hits in one inning.
Starting pitcher Choi Ha-neul (Samsung) threw four innings of one-hit ball, striking out one and walking none while throwing 44 pitches. Choi ended the first inning with a triple play on eight pitches. She retired the next three batters on a grounder to shortstop, a fly out to first base, and a fly out to left field.굿모닝토토
Triple play in the second. A foul fly to third, a fly to second, and a grounder to the pitcher ended the inning. The third inning was a perfect game with seven pitches. He retired the next three batters on a fly ball to center, a grounder to second, and a grounder to shortstop.
In the fourth, a strikeout and a fly out to left field extended his hitting streak to 11 batters. Two batters later, Masuda singled to right for the first hit of the game. A grounder to second base ended the inning without a run.
Moon Hyun-bin (second baseman), Yang Woo-hyun (third baseman), Jang Jin-hyuk (center fielder), Ha Joo-seok (shortstop), Lee Jin-young (designated hitter), Ryu Seung-min (right fielder), Kim Tae-hoon (left fielder), Kim Jae-sang (first baseman), and Lee Bung-heon (catcher) were the starting lineup.
In the top of the first inning, Yang Woo-hyun singled to center and Ha Ju-seok singled to right to put runners on first and third. Lee Jin-young struck out swinging to end the inning.
Yonsei missed a great opportunity in the fourth inning. Leadoff hitter Jang Jin-hyuk reached on an error by the shortstop, and a batter later, Lee Jin-young singled to left to put runners on first and third, but Ryu Seung-min and Kim Tae-hoon struck out in succession.
Hong Moo-won, the second pitcher in the fifth inning after Choi Ha-neul, put runners on second and third with back-to-back walks and a sacrifice bunt. A sacrifice fly scored the go-ahead run.
In the sixth, Yang Woo-hyun and Jang Jin-hyuk drew back-to-back walks to put runners on first and second, but Ha Ju-seok and Lee Jin-young struck out in succession. Ryu Seung-min grounded out to the pitcher to end the scoring opportunity.
Trailing 1-0 in the top of the seventh inning, Kim Jae-sang reached on an infield single and Lee Min-joon launched a game-winning two-run home run over the left field fence.
Lee Min-joon was selected in the third round, 21st overall, in the 2023 draft as a rookie this year. He made his professional debut in late June, going 1-for-4 with a walk and a strikeout in four games. In the Futures League, he appeared in 43 games, batting .252 (30-for-119) with one home run and 20 RBIs.
However, the Alliance gave up a 1-2 lead in the top of the eighth inning when Yang Kyung-mo doubled to right followed by Woo Woo’s triple. In the top of the ninth, Nam Ji-min gave up a double to right and a single to left, and a stolen base put runners on second and third.
The first baseman grounded into a double play, but a safe, fielder’s choice allowed the tying run to score and put runners on first and third. SoftBank attempted a squeeze bunt, and pitcher Nam Ji-min made a glove toss to home plate, but it was safe again.
In the bottom of the ninth, pinch-hitters Heo Kwan-ho and Lee Min-joon drew back-to-back walks to put runners on second and third with one out, but Kim Geon’s fly ball to left field ended the game.
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