[EPN NP Now reporter Yoon Dong-geun] In the fourth game of Pool C at the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC), Moon Bo-gyeong delivered a big performance to power South Korea.
Manager Ryu Ji-hyun’s team beat Australia 7-2 on March 9 at the Tokyo Dome.
The victory sent Korea out of the opening round for the first time in 17 years, since the country finished as runner-up in 2009.
Korea needed a win by at least five runs while keeping runs allowed to a minimum, making this a must-win matchup. After Son Ju-young left the mound with an injury, No Kyung-eun halted the threat with scoreless relief and helped stabilize the bullpen.
At the plate, Moon was the catalyst. He went 3-for-5 with a home run and four RBIs, coming through in the clutch.
In the top of the second, Moon changed the game with a two-run homer to deep center off Australia starter Lachlan Wells, his LG Twins teammate.
He added a deep-center double in the third and then drove in another run with a two-out, two-on RBI single to left in the fifth.
Moon finished the opening round with 11 RBIs, matching Kim Tae-kyun’s single-WBC RBI total from Korea’s 2009 run to the final.
He was also the only player among all athletes from the 20 countries in Round 1 to record 10 RBIs or more.
After the game, Moon said he felt a weight lift off his shoulders. He admitted to being nervous and worried before the matchup but called this one of the best moments of his career.
Moon downplayed the personal milestone, stressing that advancing as a team mattered most. “I’m relieved we made the last eight, and this feels like the best moment of my baseball life,” he said.
He added that he hopes Korea’s fans and the sport’s popularity at home grow together, and he expects to give supporters more to cheer about in the quarterfinals.
He even lightened the mood with a joke, asking that he be shown during the national anthem montage.
The Korean team now heads to Miami to face the Pool D winner in a pre-quarterfinal on March 14.
Moon said he’s thrilled to reach the quarterfinals and is ready to take on world-class competition.
On Wells, Moon added, “He’s a good pitcher, but I gave him a proper welcome tonight. I hope he does well when he gets back to the LG Twins.”
Photo: Yonhap News Agency
