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The national baseball team set a massive record in their second game against underdog Hong Kong. Starting pitcher Choi Min-seok and the relievers secured a mercy-rule victory with a "team perfect game," allowing no hits, no walks, and not a single baserunner.
Reporter Lee Seonghun has the story.
[Reporter]
After carrying a no-hitter into the ninth inning with one out against Taiwan yesterday (the 21st), the pitching staff dominated the weaker Hong Kong lineup even more fiercely today, starting with pitcher Choi Min-seok.
Following Choi's two perfect innings, Kim Jin-wook, Choi Jun-yong, Kim Young-woo, Bae Chan-seung, and Seong Young-tak put on a strikeout show, not allowing a single baserunner.
The national lineup seized control early with Roh Si-hwan's two-run home run in the first inning, and effectively put the game away in the third inning with Cho Hyung-woo's massive grand slam.
Adding three more runs each in the fifth and seventh innings to pull ahead by 13 runs, the national team closed out the game in the seventh when Seong Young-tak induced a deep fly ball to left-center from the leadoff batter, which left fielder Moon Hyun-bin tracked down and caught. Seong then struck out the final batter to complete a 13-0 mercy-rule victory and the first-ever "team perfect game" in international competition history for a national team featuring professional players.
Having secured back-to-back shutout victories, the national team will play its third game against underdog Thailand tomorrow.
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The national football team defeated Saudi Arabia 2-0 in their second match with consecutive goals scored in the second half by Shin Min-ha and Kim Myung-jun, passing through the group stage with two straight wins and finishing first in their group.
Three days later, the national team will compete for a spot in the semifinals against Vietnam, which finished second in Group C.
(Video by Park Jin-ho and Choi Dae-woong, Video Editing by Yoon Tae-ho)