By Kang Seung-woo
Staff Reporter
South Korea defeated Taiwan 9-2 to win the Baseball Federation of Asia (BFA) Junior Baseball Championship, Saturday.
In the final at Mokdong Stadium in Seoul, pinch hitter Cho Yoon-sung's tie-breaking RBI single and Kang Min-kook's two-run triple lifted manager Park Tae-ho's side to the title.
Two-time champion Korea, which last triumphed in 2003, took back the trophy after beating Taiwan (twice), Japan and China in the six-team tournament. "I feel great because it is my first-career win on the international stage,'' manager Park said.
"I was under much pressure because it was played in Korea, but I feel far better to win in front of local fans.''
South Korea, which downed the defending champion 6-3 in the opener on Tuesday, was held to a 1-1 tie through the fifth inning after squandering several chances.
However, the team, a finalist in the last two tournaments, broke the deadlock in the sixth as with runners on first and second, Cho singled to put Korea in front and Kang hit a game-clinching two-run triple to make it 4-1.
The opponents trailed 4-2 in the eighth inning, but a five-run rally in the bottom half iced the game.