South Korea Dominates Dominican Republic in U12 Baseball World Cup
In a vibrant encounter of the U12 Baseball World Cup held in Tainan, Taiwan, the South Korean team demonstrated their power by defeating the Dominican Republic with a score of 8 runs to 3. The match, played this Saturday, was marked by the lack of control in the Dominican pitching and defensive errors that tipped the balance in favor of the Asians.
The match, corresponding to Group B of the tournament, began with a pitchers’ duel that maintained the tension in the first three innings. Only one hit was allowed, a single connected by Erick Claudio in the bottom of the third inning, which allowed the Dominican Republic to score the first run of the game and take the lead momentarily.South Korea Capitalizes on Errors and Takes Control
The situation changed drastically in the top of the fourth inning. The Dominican starter, Johan Yan, faced control problems, issuing four walks and committing two illegal moves, in addition to two wild pitches. After his departure, reliever Carlos Rodriguez failed to stop the Korean attack, hitting the first batter he faced and allowing a single, added to a defensive error that completed a nightmare for the Dominican Republic. Twelve Korean batters paraded through the plate, scoring six runs with only three hits.
The Korean offense continued its attack in the fifth inning, adding two more runs thanks to a walk, a single and a consecutive double, establishing definitive figures on the scoreboard.Dominican Republic Attempts to React
Despite the disadvantage, the Dominican ninth didn’t give up. In the closing of the fifth inning, Erick Claudio connected his second single of the game, followed by an unstoppable hit by Bryan Zapata. A wild pitch allowed Claudio to score the third run for the Dominican Republic, closing their offensive account.Protagonists from the Montículo
The winning pitcher was Jaeseung Lee, who worked 2.1 relief innings, allowing three hits, two runs, one walk, and striking out five opponents. The loss fell to Johan Yan, who in 3.1 innings allowed three runs, gave four walks and fanned three, without allowing hits.Upcoming Challenges for the Dominican Republic
With this result, South Korea improves its record to 2-0, while the Dominican Republic is left with a 1-1 record. Despite the defeat, the Dominicans still have chances to qualify for the Super Round, depending on their next commitments.
The Dominican team will return to the field this Sunday at 2:30 a.m. (Dominican time) to face Panama, in a crucial game for their aspirations. Subsequently, they will play at 10:30 p.m. against South Africa, a team that has not yet achieved victories in the tournament.
The Dominican technical staff trusts in the team’s ability to overcome this setback and demonstrate the talent and grit that characterize Dominican baseball in the upcoming games.
