Geelong-Korea snares dramatic win and keeps Perth from top spot
JAE-WON Lee’s two-out grand slam in the 10th inning lifted Geelong-Korea to a 10-8 win over Perth in the series finale yesterday at Geelong Baseball Centre.
The dramatic win keeps Perth a game out of first place in the Southwest Division with one round remaining.
The Heat threatened in the fourth after Jordan Qsar drew a lead-off walk and Robbie Glendinning doubled to left to put runners at second and third. But Joo-Hong Park didn’t give in.
The GK starter struck out the next three he faced to preserve the 0-0 tie and send his team to bat in the bottom of the fourth.
Chang-Ki Hong led off the inning with his third home run of the season – an opposite field shot to left-centre field – to give the home side their first lead of the series. But it didn’t last long.
Perth strung together fivestraight hits with two outs in the fifth. Tim Kennelly launched his sixth home run of the season – a two-run shot – to give the Heat the lead. RBIs from Glendinning and Niko Hulsizer followed. Perth led, 4-0 after four and a half.
Park left the game after tossing 5.0 innings. He allowed seven hits and struck out five.
Min-sun Kim homered in the bottom of the fifth to cut the lead in half.
Sam Kennelly added to the Heat lead in the seventh with his third homer of the season to put the Heat back up three, 5-2.
Geelong-Korea kept fighting, as Ro-Han Kang homered for the second-consecutive series to cut the lead to one, 5-4.
It looked like the comeback would fall short, however, as they loaded the bases in the eighth no one out and brought the tying run to the plate in the ninth with two outs. SungWon Ju hit his second home run the season to tie the game, 6-6, and force extra innings. In the 10th, Perth pushed a run across on a Roberto sacrifice fly and a double by Sam Kennelly.
Lee came to the plate with the bases loaded and two outs in the 10th and deposited his fourth home run of the season into left field to seal the win.
Geelong-Korea travels to Adelaide next weekend.