Gangneung failed to secure a ticket to the final of the 2023 Golden Lion National High School Baseball Tournament. Gangneung, coached by Choi Jae-ho, lost 1-6 to Busan High School in the quarterfinals of the tournament at Mokdong Baseball Stadium in Seoul on April 24메이저놀이터.
On the day, Gangneung scored the first run in the second inning, but Busan scored one run in every inning except the first and sixth thanks to their salty defense and focus on not missing chances. As a result, Gangneung failed to advance to the finals of four consecutive national tournaments, including the national championship. First-year right-hander Park Ji-hoon started the game for Gangneung.
Lee Ji-hoo (left fielder), Jung Jae-woo (second baseman), Lee Chan-seo (shortstop), Cho Dae-hyun (designated hitter), Lee Yul-ye (catcher), Lee Yong-hyun (first baseman), Choi Min-ho (center fielder), Park Chae-woon (third baseman), and Kim Min-sik (right fielder) formed the batting order.
Both teams had scoring chances in the first inning, but the salty defense kept the game scoreless. In the top of the second, Gangneung struck first. Lee Yul-yeh took a changeup from Cho Min-woo and hit a triple to the fence, followed by a sacrifice fly from Choi Min-ho to score a run.
Busan didn’t fall behind. In the bottom of the second, Choi Min-seo singled up the middle and Park Jae-yeop followed with a sacrifice bunt to put runners on first and second. Park struck out the ninth batter, Park Chan-yup, with a sharp changeup, but the first batter, Yeon Jun-won, hit a tying single to left field. In the top of the third inning, Gangneungo had runners on first and second with one out when Jung Jae-woo’s bunt was caught by the Busan Go defense, and Lee Chan-seo was thrown out at the plate by the Busan Go infield.
In the top of the fourth inning, Busan Go did not give Gangneung Go a chance to tie the game with a triple play with Kim Dong-hoo on the mound, and in the bottom of the fourth inning, with runners on second and third, Yeon Jun-won singled over the shortstop’s head to score one more run. In the top of the fifth inning, Busan Go shut down Gangneung Go with a triple play, and in the bottom of the fifth inning, with runners on second and third, Yang Hyuk-jun hit an RBI single over the center fielder’s head to make the score 4-1.
The sixth inning ended scoreless for both teams, and in the top of the eighth, Gangneungo put runners on second and third with Lee Ji-hoo singling, but Jung Jae-woo was thrown out at second base.
In the top of the ninth, Gangneungo loaded the bases with one out when pinch-hitter Jung Hwan doubled to deep left field, but Lee Yul-ye and Choi Min-ho flied out to left field and center field, respectively, to end the game.