Taipei: In the days leading up to the World Baseball Softball Confederation Premier12, South Korean manager Ryu Joong-il emphasized the importance of winning the first game against Chinese Taipei. To achieve this, Ryu sent his most reliable starter, Ko Young-pyo, to the mound for the crucial Group B contest at Taipei Dome in the Taiwanese capital. Ryu mentioned that his coaches and scouts believed that Chinese Taipei hitters would struggle against Ko, known for his changeup from a sidearm delivery. According to Yonhap News Agency, South Korea's strategy unraveled early in the game. Ko surrendered a grand slam and a two-run home run in the second inning, leading to a 6-3 defeat by Chinese Taipei. During the 2024 Korea Baseball Organization regular season, Ko allowed six home runs over 100 innings. In his 18 starts, he gave up two homers in only three outings while maintaining control in 15 other games. In the game against Chinese Taipei, Ko navigated through a two-out walk in the first inning and faced the b ottom of the opposing lineup with two outs. However, with a runner on first, he allowed a single to No. 8 hitter Li Kai-Wei and subsequently walked No. 9 hitter Chiang Kun-Yu, loading the bases. A visit from pitching coach Choi Il-eon failed to steady Ko, as Chen Chen-Wei hit a first-pitch changeup for a grand slam, giving Chinese Taipei a 4-0 lead. Lin Li followed with a double, and Chen Chieh-Hsien added a two-run homer, extending the lead to 6-0. Despite the early deficit, South Korea's offensive efforts fell short. The team managed only three hits against six pitchers, unable to rally back. South Korea went hitless against starter Lin Yu-Min for three innings, who struck out the side in the third inning after receiving a 6-0 lead from his teammates. South Korea scored two runs in the fourth inning following a leadoff walk by Hong Chang-ki. Kim Do-yeong's double brought Hong home, and Park Dong-won's single scored Kim, reducing the deficit to 6-2. However, the momentum waned as Moon Bo-gyeong popped out on the first pitch, and Lin Yu-Min was relieved with two outs in the fifth after hitting Kim Ju-won. South Korea missed another opportunity in the sixth inning. Kim Do-yeong walked and stole second, but Yoon Dong-hee and Park Dong-won failed to advance him, grounding out and striking out, respectively. South Korea managed a solo home run from Na Seung-yeup in the seventh, but this was their final hit. This loss continues South Korea's trend of losing opening games in international tournaments. South Korea previously lost its first game against Chinese Taipei at the 2003 Asian championships and the 2006 Asian Games. The team also exited early from the last three World Baseball Classics, losing the opening games on each occasion. Following this defeat, South Korea must win its remaining four games against Cuba, Japan, the Dominican Republic, and Australia to qualify for the Super Round. Beating Japan, the group favorite, will be challenging, especially if South Korea's bats remain subdued. Cuba will also pre sent a formidable challenge, particularly with their ace Livan Moinelo, who maintained a 1.88 ERA in Nippon Professional Baseball this year. .