Korea – Japan 6-2
JPN 101 000 000 2 6 2 KOR 000 100 14X 6 10 1
Like in Athens 2004 the Japanese Olympic roster looked strong on paper, going into the Baseball tournament in Beijing. But like four years ago they will not win the elusive gold medal, as they now have to play for bronze on Saturday. Korea overcame an early 0-2 deficit to edge Japan 6-2 in semi-final one. It was their eighth win in the eighth game at the Olympics. They now have secured at least silver, facing Team USA or Cuba on Saturday in the gold medal game.
Japan started strong and took a 2-0 lead after three innings after a RBI fielder’s choice by Takahiro Arai in the first and a RBI single by Norichika Aoki in the third. But it was not enough. South Korea cut the deficit to a run in the fourth, when Yong Kyu Lee scored on a double play groundball by Seung Yuop Lee. They tied the contest on a Jin Young Lee RBI single in the seventh.
Korea decided the outcome in the eighth, when they scored four runs, including a two-run homerun by Seung Yuop Lee, which put them up in front. Japan managed just four singles in four seperate innings after the third and could not come back to avoid elimination.
Kwang Hyun Kim (W 1-0) allowed six hits, two runs (1ER) and two walks in eight innings. He struck out five. Toshiya Sugiuchi (JPN) started and gave up one run on three hits and two base on balls in 3 2/3 innings. Hitoki Iwase (L 0-3) took the loss for a third time at the Olympics.
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