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| Choi Ji-hoon / Photo=DB |
SSG defeated NC 11-3 on April 18 at Changwon NC Park in a 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League road game.
The victory moved SSG to 10-7 and up one spot to fourth place.
NC dropped its third straight, falling to 7-10 and giving up a share of sixth place to the Hanwha Eagles.
Starter Kim Geon-woo went 5.2 innings, allowing three hits (one homer), issuing three walks, striking out four and yielding three runs to pick up his second win of the season.
At the plate, Choi Ji-hoon was the offensive catalyst, finishing 2-for-5 with a three-run homer, three RBIs and two runs scored. Choi Jeong reached base four times, going 1-for-2 with a homer, three walks, one RBI and three runs.
NC starter Taylor was charged with the loss after 3.2 innings, surrendering two hits (one homer), four walks and five strikeouts to fall to 1-2 on the year.
NC struck first in the bottom of the third. Leadoff hitter Choi Jeong-won was hit by a pitch and Kim Joo-won followed with a walk to put runners on first and second with no outs. A wild pitch advanced the runners, and Park Min-woo’s two-run single to center gave NC a 2-0 lead.
SSG answered with the long ball in the fourth. After one out, Choi Jeong and Kim Jae-hwan drew back-to-back walks. Oh Tae-gon struck out, but Choi Ji-hoon crushed Taylor’s fourth pitch — a 136 km/h changeup — over the fence for a three-run homer, turning the score to 3-2 in SSG’s favor.
Taylor continued to struggle. He hit Kim Sung-wook and Cho Hyeong-woo on consecutive pitches, creating another no-out, runners-on-first-and-second threat. NC summoned Jeon Sa-min, but Jung Joon-jae followed with a run-scoring single to left, pushing SSG’s lead to 4-2.
SSG extended the gap in the fifth. With one out and the bases empty, Choi Jeong launched Lim Ji-min’s fourth pitch — a 154 km/h fastball — over center for a solo shot.
NC rallied in the sixth. With two outs, Lee Woo-sung battled Kim Geon-woo to a full count and then cleared the left-field wall with a 125-meter solo homer, trimming the deficit to 5-3.
SSG put the game away over the final innings. In the eighth, an infield grounder by Kim Sung-wook and an NC wild pitch produced two runs, making it 7-3. In the ninth, with the bases loaded and no outs, Kim Jae-hwan delivered a two-run single and Oh Tae-gon added an RBI single. With one out and runners on first and third, pinch-hitter Han Yoo-seom hit a sacrifice fly to center, sealing an 11-3 victory.
Closer Jeon Young-jun worked the ninth. He walked leadoff batter Han Seok-hyun but induced a double play from Ahn Jung-yeol and struck out Oh Young-soo looking to finish a scoreless inning and preserve the win.
[Sports Today reporter Shin Seo-young sports@stoo.com]
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