It had been a wonderful Cinderella story for Mexico, as they had advanced within one game of the International Championship, after losing their first game of the Little League World Series. Then Asia-Pacific brought them back to reality with an unpleasantly rude awakening, dominating the Mexicans 7-0. 

Allowing just one hit, while knocking out five of their own Asia-Pacific took advantage of a crucial error from Mexico's defense, translating the lone miscue into four unearned runs off of Mexico's ace, Victor Juarez, as the South Koreans rode a five-run second inning to victory.

 Sangheon Park and Wontae Cho combined for a one-hit, no-walk performance, facing just 19 hitters, one over the minimu, while striking out thirteen. Seum Kwon and Jaekyeong Kim each picked up 3 RBI for Asia-Pacific. 

Asia-Pacific's early offense is enough

Although South Korea's offense didn't do much in the later stages of the game, they scored six runs in the first two innings, which was easily enough to take the wind out of Mexico's sails and cruise to victory. Sparking them all night long, Kwon started the run parade for Asia-Pacific, mashing a solo shot off of Juarez with one out in the first inning for a quick 1-0 lead, although Juarez did strike out three in the inning. 

In the second, after very little offense from Mexico, the South Koreans broke things open. After an error and hit batsmen, sandwiched around a fly-out, Kim drove Juarez's offering beyond the center field fence for a 3-run blast and a 4-0 Asia-Pacific lead. They tacked on two more runs on Kwon's second dinger of the day, to almost the exact same location as his first, a two-run shot with two outs. 

The second inning represented the majority offense seen in this contest, as with the exception of one shaky inning, Mexico's pitching was fairly solid, only giving up one more run, as South Korea manufactured a walk, sacrifice bunt, and two passed balls into a run in the fourth inning. 

Although the long ball was tough on Juarez in the game, he did battle well on the mound, giving up just four hits while striking out seven in three frames. He was replaced after that by Gael Isaac Cortez, the only man with a hit for the Mexico offense. Cortez was superb, giving up just one hit and whiffing five batters over three shutout innings.

Park and Cho are tremendous on the mound

Splitting the six innings evenly, with three innings apiece, both Park and Cho were tremendous on Thursday. After surrendering a one-out single in the first inning to Cortez, the two hurlers combined to record 17 straight outs to end the games, as Cortez, who never advanced beyond first base, represented the only man between Asia-Pacific pitchers and a perfect game.

Cortez's single was followed up by eight straight strikeouts by Park, as he needed just 38 pitches to whiff eight straight Mexico hitters. Having thrown 48 pitches overall, and the game already in hand, Park was removed, keeping him available for Sunday's championship between the International Champion and the U.S. Champion, in the case that Asia-Pacific makes it that far. 

Cho entered the game for Asia-Pacific and was equally spectacular. He fired three perfect frames on 26 pitches, 24 of which were strikes. His first inning took just 8 pitches, as he induced three quick ground-outs. He got a ground out and soft liner to start the fifth inning, before recording his first strikeout. Cho would finish the game in style, hurling an 'immaculate inning', in which he fired nine pitches, all for strikes, and earning three strikeouts. 

Asia-Pacific advances to the International Championship against Latin America, who beat them 3-2 on Wednesday, courtesy of a late three-run jack. 

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