Havana, November 7 (RHC) – South Korea opened its path in the Under-23 Baseball World Championship with a 3-2 victory over Cuba, at the Rigoberto López Pérez stadium in León.
With that victory, the Asian team got off to a winning start in Group B, while the Cubans were forced to react immediately in a very demanding series.
The Cubans, without a hit, took the lead in the second inning with two runs, combining an error by the third baseman—who committed two errors in that inning—with a sacrifice fly by Rafael de Jesús Álvarez.
A trio of hits, including an RBI double by Joonseo Eo, allowed the Asian team to cut the deficit to one run in the third inning against starter José Ignacio Bermúdez.
In the fifth, the South Koreans tied the game thanks to a sacrifice fly by Seungjoo Kim, after he singled, laid down a bunt, and took advantage of a wild pitch by the Cuban pitcher.
The two teams battled through the seven regulation innings, going to extra innings, where the Caribbean side was dominated by reliever Jonghyeok Wom, who struck out five batters in two innings.
A walk with the bases loaded by the losing pitcher, Randy Martínez, in the bottom of that inning, left the Cubans stranded on the field, ending the game.
Guillermo Carmona’s team managed only one hit in the game, a double by captain Jean Lucas Baldoquín.
The victory puts South Korea in contention for one of the three Super Round berths in Group B, which also includes Japan, Venezuela, Great Britain, and South Africa; Cuba, on the other hand, began its campaign with a loss that complicates its chances of advancing among the top teams.
The Asian team arrives in Nicaragua with a remarkable track record in this category: they were world runners-up in 2022 and won bronze medals in the 2014 and 2016 editions, while Cuba is seeking its first medal after finishing fourth in 2020.
The opening day made it clear that Group B will not forgive mistakes: with Japan as the heavy favorite and Venezuela as a formidable opponent, every victory could mean the difference between advancing to the Super Round and an early exit from the medal race at the VI U-23 Baseball World Cup.
