South Korea Rallies To Top Dominican Republic At Olympics

Image credit: Hyun-Soo Kim (Getty Images)

South Korea scored three runs in the bottom of the ninth to come from behind to beat the Dominican Republic, 4-3, in both team’s first game in the Olympics knockout round.

Hyun-Soo Kim‘s RBI single drove in Jung-Ho Lee with the winning run, capping a ninth inning that saw South Korea get four hits against the Dominican Republic’s closer, Luis Castillo.

Both teams scored a run in the first. The D.R. took a 3-1 lead with two runs in the fourth when Juan Francisco homered after Julio Rodriguez singled.

That lead was safe until the ninth. D.R. starter Raul Valdes and relievers Denyi Reyes, Dario Alvarez and Jose Diaz held South Korea in check until that ninth-inning rally.

Kim had four hits for South Korea. Rodriguez was the only D.R. hitter with two hits.

South Korea advances to the second round of the knockout stage with the win and will face Israel. 

The Dominican Republic will now face the loser of that Israel-South Korea game in an elimination game. The winner of that game will have to face the loser of the Japan-U.S. game, with the winner advancing to the semifinals.