The Paju Challengers won the KBO DREAM CUP Independent Baseball Tournament, which was held for the first time this year.
The Dream Cup Independent Baseball Tournament is designed to give amateur players who have not received a roster spot or players who have been released from professional teams a chance to fulfil their dreams once again and to improve the performance of independent baseball teams.
Song Woo-hyun batted fourth for the winning team, Paju. He played for Kiwoom in the KBO before being released for drunk driving and playing in the independent league. 안전놀이터
Song joined Nexen (now Kiwoom) in the sixth round of the 2015 rookie draft. He is the son of Hanwha legend Song Jin-woo. He made his professional debut in 2020 after serving in the army and played 69 games in the 2021 season, posting a batting average of 2.969 (74 hits in 250 at-bats).
However, in August 2021, Song Woo-hyun was arrested by the police on suspicion of drunk driving, and Kiwoom claimed him off waivers and released him. After being charged with drunk driving, the club released him within three days. He has been playing in the independent league since 2022.
Song Woo-hyun started in left field at No. 4 in the final game against the Yeoncheon Miracle at the Hwaseong KBO Baseball Centre on Wednesday and went 1-for-3 with a double and a walk.
Trailing 1-2 in the first inning, Song was thrown out at first base on a fielder’s choice. In the top of the third, he hit a hard double over the right-field fence. The next two batters struck out swinging with runners on second and third, but the run was nullified by a fly ball to shortstop.
With the score tied 2-2 in the fifth, Song Woo-hyun batted third with runners on second and third. On a three-ball, he drew an automatic walk to load the bases.
Seok Ji-hoon followed with a two-run single to left to give Paju a 4-2 lead. Song Woo-hyun, who was at third base, scored when the throw to first base from reliever Choi Jong-wan went behind him. It was 5-2.
With the score 6-3, in the bottom of the sixth, Song hit a grounder to first base that bounced off the first baseman’s mitt and the second baseman caught it and threw to first for the out.
Song finished the tournament going 3-for-13 (.231 batting average) with three RBIs.