Finger breath? Ponce, who was not swayed by the opponent's coach's appeal, pitched victory with a big smile (Incheon Field)

Apr 15, 2025

The KBO League SSG and Hanwha match held at SSG Landers Field in Incheon on the 15th. Hanwha starter Ponce smiles wildly after pitching in the third inning. Incheon = Song Jeong-heon Reporter's songs@sportschosun.com/2025.04.15/

Smiling Ponce after pitching in the third inning.

SSG manager Lee Soo-yong appealed from the first inning, but Hanwha Ponce ended up becoming a winning pitcher with seven scoreless innings.

Hanwha Eagles won the first game of three consecutive games during the week 2-0 against the KBO League SSG Landers at SSG Landers Field in Incheon on the 15th.

Lee Jin-young (right wing), Floral (middle fielder), Moon Hyun-bin (designated hitter), Noh Si-hwan (third baseman), Kim Tae-yeon (left wing), Chae Eun-sung (first baseman), Hwang Young-mook (second baseman), Choi Jae-hoon (possessed) and Shim Woo-jun (striker) participated as starters for Hanwha.

For SSG, Jihoon Choi (center fielder), Jung Joon-jae (second baseman), Park Sung-han (striker), Han Yu-seom (right fielder), Lee Ji-young (catcher), Oh Tae-gon (left fielder), Ko Myung-joon (first baseman), Hyun Won-hee (designated hitter), and Park Ji-hwan (third baseman) started.

Hanwha scored the first run in the top of the first inning. Leadoff hitter Lee Jin-young created a chance by hitting a right-handed hit against SSG starter Anderson. When Floral hit to the right, Lee Jin-young advanced to the third base with no outs and runners on the first and third bases. When Moon Hyun-bin hit an infield ground ball, third baseman Lee Jin-young scored first. Moon Hyun-bin was declared a double play, but after video reading, he was recorded as a safe RBI infield ground ball at first base.

The KBO League SSG and Hanwha match held at SSG Landers Field in Incheon on the 15th. Hanwha's Moon Hyun-bin scored an RBI single in the first inning. Incheon = Song Jeong-heon Reporter's songs@sportschosun.com/2025.04.15/

SSG director Lee Sung-yong, who briefly appeals to the judges about the influence of Hanwha Ponce at the end of the first inning.

After that, both teams failed to score until the sixth inning. Hanwha scored an extra point in the seventh inning. Hanwha targeted Kim Gun-woo, a pitcher who changed his SSG. Hwang Young-mook, the leadoff hitter, hit a left-handed hit and got on base. first base with no outs. Choi Jae-hoon attempted a sacrifice bunt. SSG Kim Gun-woo caught the ball and threw it to the first base, but the ball fell out of the first base and was on the first and third bases with no outs.

Choi Jae-hoon managed to steal second base and hit second and third bases with no outs. In Shim Woo-joon's strikeout, Lee Won-seok hit an infield ground ball in front of the third baseman, but SSG third baseman Park Ji-hwan missed the ball and third baseman Hwang Young-mook scored additional points.

Hanwha starter Ponce also took the mound in the bottom of the seventh inning to keep the SSG batters scoreless.

Ponce pitched seven innings and struck out 12 times. There is only one hit. The total number of pitches was 98. Ponce won three games in five games he played in Hanwha's uniform.

SSG starter Anderson allowed one run in the first inning, but later stabilized and pitched five innings of one run. His teammates' bats did not burst, and Anderson eventually became a defeat pitcher.

The KBO League SSG and Hanwha match held at SSG Landers Field in Incheon on the 15th. Coach Yang Sang-moon is listening to the referee's explanation ahead of Ponce's pitch in the third inning. Incheon = Song Jeong-heon Reporter's songs@sportschosun.com/2025.04.15/

Ponce breathing his hands during pitching due to cold weather.

Hanwha starter Ponce had difficulty controlling the ball early in the game due to the cold weather that saw the lowest temperature drop to 2 degrees Celsius this evening. He had runners on first and second bases with no outs in the bottom of the first inning. He also had a walk in the bottom of the second inning.

Ponce breathed breath into his right finger during the pitch due to the cold weather. At the bottom of the first inning, SSG coach Lee Seung-yong appealed this move. The referee also pointed out Ponce's move to breathe in. He explained that he should not pitch immediately after breathing, but should pitch after wiping his hands on his uniform.

Even the opposing coach appealed at the beginning of the game. Ponce could have been shaken, but he overcame the early loss crisis and eventually became a winning pitcher.

Hanwha's first starter foreign pitcher was responsible for the victory without being shaken by not only his performance but also his positive personality. Ponce, who watched the game from the dugout to the end, enjoyed the joy of victory with a big smile.