Baseball Team Korea advanced to the WBC Quarterfinals for the first time in 17 years
- Woojin Nam
- May 13
- 2 min read
May 13, 2026
Woojin Nam
There was a group stage match between Korea and Australia at the Tokyo Dome. To advance to the quarterfinals, Korea had to win by more than 5 runs and allow 2 runs or fewer. In other words, Korea needed to win 7–2, 6–1, or 5–0. By the outcome of this game, only one team among Taiwan, Australia, and Korea would advance to the next stage. Team Korea’s starting pitcher was Son Joo Young, and Team Australia’s starting pitcher was Lachlan Wells.
Korea scored the first run at the beginning of the game. Moon Bo Gyung hit a tworun home run by hitting Lachlan Wells’s slider. However, there was one variable for Team Korea. The starting pitcher, Son Joo Young, left the mound because he felt discomfort in his elbow. Right after that, No Kyeong Eun took the mound and closed out the inning.
In the 5th inning, So Hyeong Jun gave up one run by allowing a solo home run to Robbie Glendinning. With Kim Do Yeong and Moon Bo Gyung’s great performances, Korea succeeded in making the score 6–1. In the 8th inning, Travis Bazzana made a hit that led to the score becoming 6–2. In the final inning, Korea finally added one run with Ahn Hyun Min's sacrifice fly. Australia was persistent; however, Lee Jeong Hoo’s diving catch helped Team Korea win the game.
By winning, Team Korea succeeded in advancing to the WBC Quarterfinals for the first time in 17 years. Captain Lee Jeong Hoo shed tears after winning the game. In Group C, Japan and Korea advanced to the quarterfinals. Japan will meet Venezuela, and Korea will compete against the Dominican Republic. Team Korea has arrived in Miami to play the game on Saturday.
