I'm so happy. There's no more to express.
NC Dinos infielder Kim Joo-won set a personal record for the most hits in a single game, leading the team's first winning series of the season.
On the 27th, Kim Joo-won recorded 4 hits, 4 RBIs, and 3 runs during an away game against the Samsung Lions at Daegu Samsung Lions Park, hitting a clearing double in a two-out, bases-loaded situation in the 9th inning. After the game, Kim Joo-won met with reporters and smiled broadly, saying, "I'm so happy. There's no more to express."
In the two-out, bases-loaded situation in the 9th inning, he connected a forkball from Samsung closer Kim Jae-yoon, who achieved 181 career saves, with a disadvantageous ball count (0B-2S), turning it into a left-center double. He said, "I thought that since Kim Jae-yoon senior was throwing fastballs and forkballs, he would try to throw breaking balls to get ahead in the count. With a disadvantageous count, the words of coach Jo Young-hoon came to mind, so I approached it thinking simply about just bringing my bat forward, and it resulted in a good outcome."
After setting a personal record for the most hits in a single game that day, he said, "I think my hitting feel itself was really good. Honestly, I didn’t think I would get 4 hits. I just approached the plate in a good mood."
Manager Lee Ho-joon cleverly expressed that Kim Joo-won should "get a signature early since he might go to the Major Leagues later." This implies that there are high expectations for Kim Joo-won. In response, Kim Joo-won expressed gratitude, saying, "The manager always speaks clearly, which helps me think simply. I am trying to play aggressively, and it leads to good outcomes."
This season, the NC Dinos are classified as underdogs. However, the team members have a different perspective. Kim Joo-won smiled, saying, "We believe we can do it. I think if I perform well, it will be fine, and I feel good about winning today."
Continuing a good trend with a high batting average of .381 (8 hits in 21 at-bats) during the exhibition games, Kim Joo-won stated, "As I continue to think about various situations like the ball count from the bench and apply them, I feel like I know a bit more about baseball. I think it’s different from last year. Thinking about the ball count battle based on what I did last year seems to produce more synergy."
Pointing to his dirt-stained uniform, he expressed pride, saying, "That’s proof that I did my best in the game, so I feel good."
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