SEOUL, March 10 (AJP) - South Korea advanced to the quarterfinals of the World Baseball Classic for the first time in 17 years on Monday, defeating Australia 7–2 in Tokyo through a combination of disciplined execution, mathematical precision — and a measure of luck.
The win at Tokyo Dome gave South Korea the exact margin it needed — a victory by at least five runs while allowing no more than two — to edge past Australia and Chinese Taipei in Pool C and secure the final ticket to the knockout stage.
Designated hitter Moon Bo-gyeong delivered the decisive performance, blasting a two-run homer and finishing with four RBIs to power South Korea’s offense in the must-win finale.
Still, South Korea’s path to the quarterfinals came down to the final inning and a sequence of fortunate moments.
Leading 6-2 entering the ninth, South Korea still needed one more run to maintain the required five-run margin. Kim Do-yeong drew a leadoff walk, and Lee Jung-hoo’s sharp grounder deflected off Australian pitcher Jack O’Loughlin’s glove, triggering a rushed throw by shortstop Jarryd Dale that sailed into right field.
The error placed runners on the corners before Ahn Hyun-min lifted a sacrifice fly to right field, restoring the crucial five-run cushion.
South Korea then held firm in the bottom of the ninth to seal the victory and the long-awaited return to the WBC quarterfinals — its first since finishing runner-up in 2009.
Fortune had also tilted the broader tournament math slightly in Korea’s favor.
South Korea, Australia and Chinese Taipei all finished Pool C with identical 2–2 records. With head-to-head results tied, the standings were determined by the team run-prevention average in games among the tied teams.
All three teams allowed seven runs in those matchups, but South Korea edged the tiebreaker by recording one more defensive inning than the others, giving it the best run-prevention ratio.
Earlier in the tournament, Australia’s upset 3–0 victory over Chinese Taipei also helped keep the mathematical pathway open for South Korea, which had appeared on the brink of elimination after losing to Taipei the previous day.
South Korea will now travel to Miami to face the winner of Pool D — likely Venezuela or the Dominican Republic — in the quarterfinals on March 14 (Korea time).
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