Japan come from behind, eliminate Korea from Medal Round after thriller

World No. 1 Japan beat No. 6 Korea, 2-1 on Friday, and eliminated them from the WBSC U-23 Baseball World Cup 2024 Medal Round.

Korea's left-handed teenager Taehyun Kim took a 1-0 lead and a no-hitter into the fifth. Japan made the most of two defensive errors and reversed the lead. Samurai Japan's second reliever, Wataru Matsuda, proved the hero of the day when he neutralized a squeeze play attempt to get off the mound in a hurry in the bottom of the seventh.

Japan willl defend their U-23 World Title in the Final against No. 10 Puerto Rico.

Korea took the lead against right-hander Ryoju Goto in the top of the second. Hyeonjun Ryu reached on a one-out single after an eight-pitch duel. Sungmin Choi singled back-to-back and brought him to third. Ryu beat Yuichiro Murakami's accurate throw home and scored on Doohyun Kim's sacrifice fly.

Japan got the first hit off 18-year-old left-hander Taehyun Kim in the top of the fifth. Shinnosuke Nishimura singled with Kato Yoshikawa on first after the left fielder had reached on an error.

After a coach visit, Japan loaded the bases on Taehyun Kim's fifth walk of the night. It was his last pitch, and Korea called left-hander Jaeyoung Song from the bullpen.

Samurai Japan took control of the game. Takuma Hayashi singled on a 2-2 count to tie it, and Japan took the lead when Korea failed to complete the double play on Kazuhiro Ura's grounder to second.

Oga Nishimura took the mound for Japan in the top of the sixth.

First baseman Hyeonjun Ryu led off the top of the seventh with a double and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt.

Japan handed the ball to right-hander Wataru Matsuda. On the first pitch he saw, Sungmin Choi dropped a squeeze bunt in front of the home plate. Matsuda got to the ball in no time and flipped it to catcher Taishi Noguchi.

Home plate umpire Shao-Wei Lin called the out, but Korea challenged the call. The call stood after the on-field review.

Matsuda used four pitcher to retire Jinhyung Kim on a fly to left field.