There are a lot of mistakes in defense, but if the batting line doesn’t explode, the game is lost. This formula is being repeated by the Korean women’s national baseball team.

The Korean women’s baseball team, led by head coach Yang Sang-moon, lost a 0-10 cold game to Mexico in the fourth game of the ‘2024 Women’s Baseball World Cup (WBSC)’ qualifier held at Port Arthur Stadium in Thunder Bay, Canada on the 13th (Korean time). As a result, the national team recorded all losses during the 4 qualifying matches and stayed at the bottom of Group A.

The national team committed five defensive errors that day. However, there were only three hits. Of the 10 runs, the pitcher’s earned run was 7. The 3 runs were due to a defensive error.

The reasons for losing are repeated over and over again. In the first game of the preliminary round against Hong Kong (8-9 loss), he committed 6 mistakes, but only scored 4 hits. In the third game against Australia (3-10 loss), he recorded 6 errors and 5 hits. It’s the same as the formula for losing against Mexico.

In the second game against the United States (0-14 loss), he reduced it to two errors, but the opponent did not commit an error and hit 13 hits including a home run. On the other hand, the national team recorded three hits against the United States.

In the bottom of the second inning of the match against Mexico, third baseman Hyun-Hee Kim throws herself away from a foul fly. Hyun-hee Kim had a red scar on her forehead from hitting the fence and catching the fly ball. Thunder Bay (Canada) | Reporter Hwang Hye-jeong. et16@sportsseoul.com

The national team, which lost three runs from the first inning in the match against Mexico, struggled with emptiness and could not catch up with the score. In the meantime, Mexico took advantage of the national team’s defensive mistake and scored 8 points up to the 3rd inning.

In the end, the national team had to accept a 0-10 cold game defeat by giving 2 extra points in the 6th inning without scoring a single point.

There were a lot of mistakes on defense, but not all defense was a mess. Third baseman Hyun-Hee Kim caught a foul fly by hitting her forehead against the fence in the bottom of the second inning with second out and second base, receiving applause from the crowd.

Second baseman Lee Ji-ah started as the first second baseman in the tournament and made a number of defenses. photo source | WBSC.

Second baseman Lee Ji-ah also showed off good defense several times and won praise from the coaching staff. Outfielder Yang Seo-jin, who was urgently put in as first baseman that day due to an injury to first baseman Kim Hae-ri, also did his part in an unfamiliar position.

At the beginning of the 4th inning, the national team had a chance to score their first goal, but it was unfortunately canceled. Joo Eun-jung was hit in the calf by the opposing pitcher and limped to first base. Park Joo-ah hit a left-handed hit, and Kim Ye-seo also hit the base with a ball that hit the body in the 2nd 1st and 2nd bases and became the 2nd runner-up. However, Yang Seo-jin stepped down with a hit and the national team failed to score.

Starter Park Min-seong recorded 7 runs (5 earned) in 2.2 innings, and Choi Song-hee pitched 2.1 scoreless innings. Lee Yu-jin recorded 3 runs (2 earned) in 0.2 innings.

The only consolation that day was that pitcher Choi Song-hee climbed the mound at the end of the 3rd inning with 2nd out and 1st base, recording 1 hit and no runs in 2.1 innings.

Coach Yang Sang-moon of the national team said, “Choi Song-hee’s pitching tempo is fast, so the Mexican batters seem to have had a hard time. Isn’t Songhee good at moving the ball? He also welcomed his good pitch, saying, “He also helped the beasts well.”

Pitching coach Lee Dong-hyeon of the national team also said, “(Choi) Song-hee’s pitching was shaky because of his high octave angle. After thinking about how to catch him, he lowered his arm a little, and he was able to catch the ball and move the ball better.”

Park Joo-ah and Yang Seo-jin each scored one hit in the lineup, which produced only three hits, and Kim Hyun-ah, who was at bat as a pinch hitter, pulled off an exciting double, but failed to score due to a misfire in the follow-up hit.

There is not a single player who is in good shape due to the forced march. All of them wrapped their hands and feet with tape before the game and started the game. Although advancing to the finals was frustrated, the national team is determined to do their best until the end.

The national team will return home on the 15th after finishing the tournament schedule with Canada on the 14th. The starting pitcher for the last game is Kim Bo-mi. 안전놀이터