Professional baseball player Son Ho-young (31) of the Lotte Giants has put an end to a long extra-inning contest.
On the 25th, Son Ho-young started as the 7th third baseman in the game against SSG Landers at Incheon SSG Landers Field during the '2025 Shinhan Bank SOL Bank KBO League,' achieving 2 hits, 1 run batted in, 1 run, and 1 walk in 4 at-bats.
After hitting a single in his first at-bat with one out in the top of the 2nd inning, Son Ho-young led off in the 5th inning, successfully getting on base by drawing a walk and scoring on Jeong Bo-geun's 1-run double. In the 11th inning, tied at 2-2 with one out and a runner on third base, Son Ho-young hit a crucial 1-run single against SSG closer Jo Byeong-hyeon, giving his team an invaluable lead. The Lotte Giants held onto a narrow 3-2 victory, breaking free from a two-game losing streak to start the season.
In a post-game interview, Son Ho-young said, "I was determined to make contact. I approached the plate with the mindset of hitting it squarely. In my previous at-bat, they told me my timing was too quick and my left shoulder opened up too early. The manager told me to look toward center field at the end. Thanks to that advice, I think I was able to get such a good hit."
Regarding his game-winning hit against closer Jo Byeong-hyeon on a forkball, Son Ho-young said, "I focused on the fastball. Remembering that the manager told me to hit toward center field, I watched the pitch a little more. If I had not done that, I would have swung and missed. Thanks to the manager putting me in the 7th batting order and giving me comments, I was able to make a good hit."
"I never thought the ball would be caught by the pitcher," Son Ho-young said, smiling, "I absolutely thought it had gone through. It should have gone through." He reflected on the moment he hit the game-winner, saying, "The season has just started, but the games at Jamsil were very tough. That’s why I think I felt even better."
Son Ho-young, who recorded a batting average of .091 (2 hits in 22 at-bats) with 2 runs batted in and 1 run in 8 exhibition games, managed to only get 2 hits in the first 2 games of the season. Especially on the 23rd against LG, a well-hit ball with two outs and the bases loaded was caught by third baseman Moon Bo-kyung's diving catch, resulting in a missed opportunity to drive in a run.
Son Ho-young expressed gratitude towards the coaching staff, saying, "I hit it so well that I thought for sure it would fall. But the scene of the ball going into the glove looked like it was in slow motion. So, although I was disappointed, I have forgotten all about it now. During the exhibition games, I wanted to hit more than anyone else. However, the results didn’t come. Still, I tried to think positively, and the coaches helped me a lot. That’s why I was able to hit well like this."
"This is just the beginning," Son Ho-young emphasized, saying, "I believe this is a signal flare. I want to hit well tomorrow and the day after. I want to win," as he committed to performing well for the remainder of the season.
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