South Korea's hope for baseball gold crashed after loss to Japan
3/12/2006 12:12
South Korea's hope for another Asian Games baseball gold was crashed after
it lost 10-7 to Japan, while hopeful Chinese Taipei claimed an effortless 16-0
victory over Thailand in Doha yesterday.
After its loss to Chinese Taipei and
Japan, South Korea, who had hoped to win its third consecutive Asian Games
baseball gold, will do well with a bronze at the Games in Doha.
South Korea
and Japan, two baseball powers in Asia, had a hard- fought game whose result
remained undecided until the ninth inning.
South Korea opened the scoring on
top of the third inning, but Japan launched a strong fight back on bottom of the
third with a 2- run homer by Saigo Yasuyuki, ending the third inning 5-4 ahead
of South Korea.
In the forth inning, Yoshiura Taskashi hit another 2-run home
run, ending the forth 7-4. South Korea recovered magnificently, winning the
fifth inning 1-0 and the eighth inning 2-0, to make the overall a 7-7
tie.
Then, in a dramatic 9th inning turnaround, a three-run homer by Chono
Hisayoshi helped the Japanese squad beat one of Asia's greatest teams in the
dying moments of the game.
"The wind helped the ball go over the fence," said
Chono Hisayoshi who hit the game-clinching home run. "Of course I am happy to
beat professional players," he said.
The Japanese team is made of armature
players.
In another game on Saturday, Chinese Taipei eased into a 16-0
victory over Thailand after only five innings. Like its first game against South
Korea, Chinese Taipei hit three home runs.
Six teams are competing in
baseball on a round-robin format at the Doha Asian Games. The team with the best
record upon the completion of play will take the gold medal.
Right now,
China, Japan and Chinese Taipei are all two for two in the single round robin
tournament. South Korea, Thailand and the Philippines lost both their first
games.
China will face Japan on Sunday.
Xinhua
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