[Asian Games] S. Korea routs Hong Kong for third baseball victory

Defending Asiad champ South Korea routed Hong Kong 12-0 for its third straight baseball victory on Thursday.

At Mokdong Stadium in Seoul, South Korea enjoyed its third straight shutout victory in the final Group B contest. The game ended after seven innings on a mercy rule. Games at the Asiad are called if a team is up by 15 or more runs after five innings or at least 10 runs after the seventh.

South Korea had already clinched a spot in the semifinals with a 10-0 win over Chinese Taipei on Wednesday. South Korea will face China in Saturday's semifinals. The other semifinals match will pit Chinese Taipei against Japan.

South Korea scored at least a run in each of the seven innings played, and the pitchers extended their scoreless streak to 20 innings.

Starter Hong Seong-moo, the only amateur on the team, pitched four scoreless innings. Three relief pitchers each took care of an inning apiece.

Son Ah-seop drove in the opening run in the first with a grounder, and Kang Min-ho's sacrifice fly in the second added another run.

South Korea added three runs in the third, and Min Byung-hun's solo shot in the fourth made it a 6-0 game.

With two outs and bases loaded in the seventh, South Korea scored three runs with two walks and an infield hit to reach 10 runs for the night. (Yonhap)