Led by Gangneung High catcher Lee Yul-ye (2 years-photo), the South Korea Under-18 National Team has advanced to the Super Round of the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) U-18 Baseball World Cup after defeating Mexico.

South Korea, coached by Lee Young-bok (Chungam-Go)토토사이트, defeated Mexico 2-1 on Friday in Taichung, Taiwan, in Group A of the tournament. After losing its first game against Chinese Taipei, South Korea reeled off three straight wins over the Czech Republic, Australia, and Mexico to secure third place in Group A with a 3-1 record. Korea will play its final group game on Saturday against second-place Puerto Rico (3 wins). The top three teams in Group A and B will play a super-round-robin series to determine the finalists and the third- and fourth-place finishers based on their combined record.

Korea gave up a run in the top of the second inning to take a 0-0 tie, but in the bottom of the fifth, Yeon Jun-won (Busan High School) hit an RBI single to put runners on first and second after a single by Choi Hyun-min (Chungam High School), a bunt by Lee Yul-ye and a fielder’s choice. In the bottom of the sixth, Yeo Dong-gun (Seoul High) singled and Lee Seung-min (Whimun High) walked to put runners on first and third, but Cho Hyun-min hit an infield single on a squeeze bunt, and Korea held on for the win in the bottom of the seventh.

Lee Yul-ye has been performing well in the tournament. In South Korea’s first win, a 14-1 victory over the Czech Republic, she went 5-for-5 with a double, two home runs and three RBIs, and in the 3-0 win over Australia, she went 2-for-1 with a home run, a walk and three RBIs. She is second in the tournament in RBI (5). Fellow teammate Dae-hyun “Jotani” Cho (Gangneung High School ’03) was South Korea’s final pitcher against the Czech Republic, pitching two-thirds of an inning and allowing two hits and a runner to reach base, but striking out one.