The team managed by Ryu Ji-hyun finished 2-2 in Pool C. South Korea, Taiwan and Australia ended tied, but South Korea moved on as the pool’s No. 2 team behind Japan (3-1) on the tiebreaker of lowest runs allowed.
It is South Korea’s first trip out of the WBC group stage since its runner-up finish in 2009.
South Korea entered the game needing a win by at least five runs while allowing no more than two, and it met both conditions.
The team will fly to Miami on the night of March 10 on a chartered plane. The quarterfinal is scheduled for 7:30 a.m. March 14 (Korean time) against the Pool D winner. In Pool D, the Dominican Republic and Venezuela each have two wins.
South Korea struck first in the second inning when Moon Bo-gyeong of the LG Twins hit a two-run homer. In the third, Jahmai Jones of the Detroit Tigers, Lee Jung-hoo of the San Francisco Giants and Moon hit consecutive doubles, driving in two more runs for a 4-0 lead.
Moon delivered again in the fifth with an RBI single to make it 5-0.
South Korea answered in the sixth on an RBI hit by Kim Do-yeong of the KIA Tigers to restore a five-run cushion at 6-1.
Australia scored again in the eighth, tightening the margin and leaving South Korea needing an insurance run in the ninth to keep the required five-run gap.
In the ninth, Kim drew a walk and a throwing error by the shortstop on a ball hit by Lee put runners at first and third with one out. Ahn Hyeon-min of the KT Wiz followed with a sacrifice fly to push the lead back to five runs.
In the bottom of the ninth, reliever Jo Byeong-hyeon of the SSG Landers recorded the final out on an infield fly, sealing South Korea’s quarterfinal berth.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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