The Flame Fighters and Seoul Seongnam High captivated viewers with a dramatic back-and-forth match.
In episode 11 of the baseball entertainment program 'Flame Baseball,' released on Studio C1's official YouTube channel on the 14th, bold choices for victory in the 2nd match were depicted for the Flame Fighters and Seoul Seongnam High. The Flame Fighters excluded Park Yong-taek, their steadfast third batter and designated hitter, from the starting lineup, while Seoul Seongnam High stunned viewers with their decision to pull their starting pitcher after the third inning.
On this day, second-year player Kwak Min-seong took the mound as the starting pitcher for Seoul Seongnam High, overpowering the Fighters with his unyielding pitching. Although he occasionally issued walks, he showcased his confidence and finished the second inning securely. In contrast, Fighters' starter Yoo Hee-kwan was aggressively targeted by the opposing team for his strangely altered pitching compared to his last outing, giving up the first run from the first inning.
The Fighters, previously stifled in their offensive route, seized their opportunity in the third inning. Jeong Geun-woo and Choi Soo-hyun set the stage with a walk and a hit, respectively, and Jeong Seong-hoon's grounder allowed Jeong Geun-woo, who was on third base, to cross home plate, leveling the score at 1-1. Furthermore, a clutch hit from cleanup hitter Lee Dae-ho enabled a narrow lead of 2-1 over Seoul Seongnam High. Jeong Ui-yoon walked, filling up first base, which ultimately led the opposing team to replace the pitcher with their ace, Oh Hoon-taek, to end the inning.
Though the Fighters succeeded in taking the lead, complacency was not an option. In the bottom of the fifth, Seoul Seongnam High capitalized on a shaky Yoo Hee-kwan, erupting with three consecutive hits in a situation of two outs and runners on first and second base, reversing the score to 4-2. As momentum swung to the opposing side, manager Kim Sung-keun removed Yoo Hee-kwan and brought in Nippert for his first appearance of the 2025 season to navigate through the crisis.
Now trailing, the Fighters generated a run in the top of the sixth inning. Thanks to the efforts of Lee Taek-geun, Moon Kyo-won, and Park Jae-wook, the bases were loaded. Kim Jae-ho's at-bat featured a pinch hitter, Park Yong-taek, stepping up. Amid his current grim slump, the entire Fighters team rallied behind him. Although Park Yong-taek unfortunately failed to achieve a hit, he produced an RBI with a sacrifice fly, narrowing the gap to 3-4, bringing the Fighters close to Seoul Seongnam High.
As the fight continued between the Fighters and Seoul Seongnam High, the game moved into the seventh inning. The Fighters capitalized on the opposing pitcher's shakiness, creating a bases-loaded opportunity. Seoul Seongnam High attempted to bring in Kim Han-gyeol, who had also played in the first match, to end the inning but allowed a hit to Moon Kyo-won with two outs and the bases loaded. Jeong Seong-hoon crossed home plate to equalize, and second base runner Lee Dae-ho displayed aggressive running to slide home, successfully taking the lead at 5-4. This was Moon Kyo-won's moment to prove himself after missing a chance in an earlier at-bat due to Seoul Seongnam High's stellar defense.
Episode 11 of 'Flame Baseball' recorded 100,000 simultaneous viewers just 8 minutes after its initial release. The peak simultaneous viewer count reached 263,000, proving the tremendous popularity of 'Flame Baseball.' Next week, the ongoing battle for dominance in the intense series between the Flame Fighters and Seoul Seongnam High will be broadcasted. Additionally, footage from the heated match against Inha University that was live-streamed in June will also be revealed.
Meanwhile, it was announced that 'Flame Baseball' will live-broadcast the match against Dong-A University on July 20 (Sunday) at 2 p.m. at Gocheok Sky Dome. Tickets for this game will be available for purchase on the 16th (Wednesday) at 2 p.m. Following that, 'Flame Baseball' is scheduled to face the independent league representative team on July 27 (Sunday) at Incheon Munhak Baseball Stadium, with tickets available for purchase on July 23 (Wednesday) at 2 p.m.
The results of the Flame Fighters and Seoul Seongnam High's 2nd match, along with the second match live-streaming of 'Flame Baseball' against Inha University, can be checked on the 21st (Monday) at 8 p.m. via Studio C1's official YouTube channel.
[Photo] Capture from Studio C1 'Flame Baseball' episode 11.
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