Korea Hammers Czechia with a Quartet of Homers to Open Classic Campaign South Korea wasted no time making a statement at the 2026 World Baseball Classic, blasting four home runs en route to a dominating 9-1 victory over Czechia in the tournament opener. The South Koreans got off to a scorching start, sending nine men to the plate in the first inning and scoring three times before Czechia even had a chance to respond. The big blow came from third baseman Lee Ji-hwan, who crushed a two-run homer to center field to give Korea an early 2-0 lead. The rout was on from there, as Korea's potent offense continued to pile it on throughout the game. In addition to Lee's blast, Ji-man Choi hit a solo shot in the second inning, and Ha-seong Kim added another solo homer in the fifth. Korea's pitching staff was equally impressive, with starter Kim Min-woo allowing just one run on five hits over six innings of work. Relievers Park Jong-hoon and Lee Eui-lee combined to throw three scoreless frames in relief, striking out four Czechia hitters along the way.#South_Korea #Lee_Ji_hwan #Ji_man_Choi #Ha_seong_Kim #Kim_Min_woo #Park_Jong_hoon #Lee_Eui_lee #Czechia #2026_World_Baseball_Classic
