The Fire Fighters achieved a thrilling comeback victory amidst the biggest crisis of the season, continuing their myth of four consecutive wins since the opening.
In episode 8 of the baseball entertainment program 'Fire Baseball', released at 8 p.m. on the official YouTube channel Studio C1 on the 23rd, a breathtaking confrontation unfolded between the Fire Fighters and Incheon High School. Although Yoo Hee-kwan faltered, giving up 4 runs in the first inning, the pitching and batting lines quickly regained their composure, completing a comeback with a score of 9-6.
Starting pitcher Yoo Hee-kwan cast doubt on the team's performance with his typical ace-like display. Yoo Hee-kwan, unable to secure an out after self-inflicting a bases-loaded crisis in the first inning, allowed 4 runs, chilling the atmosphere in the dugout.
Incheon High School started right-handed sidearm pitcher Yoo Dong-yun, who has a record of 2 wins and no losses with an earned run average of 1.64. Jung Geun-woo seemed to struggle against the excellent pitching of Incheon High School but successfully reached base by drawing a walk with his seasoned eye for balls. Soon after, Choi Soo-hyun hit a ball to center field, and an error in judgment by the opposing fielder allowed the Fire Fighters to score 1 run. After a successful quick response, the Fire Fighters made it 2-4 with a sacrifice fly from Park Yong-taek, closing the gap against Incheon High School.
Regaining his rhythm, Yoo Hee-kwan delivered back-to-back three-up-three-down innings in the second and third innings with his defensive skills and a slow pitch of 77 km/h to secure strikes. Thanks to Yoo Hee-kwan's performance, the Fire Fighters forced the opposing starter to exit. In the bottom of the third inning, following a hit by Choi Soo-hyun, Incheon High School replaced Yoo Dong-yun with 'Left-handed Killer' Park Jun-seong to shut down the Fire Fighters' lineup.
The Fire Fighters, looking for opportunities, managed to turn the game around in the bottom of the fourth inning. The lower batting order took the lead in the offense. After back-to-back hits by Lee Taek-keun and Park Jae-wook, with two outs and runners on first and third base, it was a situation where one hit could change the game, and Kim Jae-ho, who had been hitless in the 2025 season, stepped up to the plate. Kim Jae-ho delivered a clutch hit that just cleared the reach of the second baseman from the first pitch. Following that, Jung Geun-woo drew a walk, loading the bases with two outs. Incheon High School decided to face Choi Soo-hyun, who recorded 2 hits in 2 at-bats that day. After a tense battle, he hit a single to right field, bringing home Kim Jae-ho from second base and completing the Fire Fighters' comeback at 5-4. Incheon High School conducted their third pitching change of the day, and Park Yong-taek grounded out to the second baseman, allowing the inning to end agonizingly.
With their fiery hitting sense, the Fire Fighters aimed to extend their lead. In the bottom of the fifth inning, a hit by Lee Dae-ho to center field and a walk by Jeong Ui-yun created an opportunity for a sacrifice bunt play. The Incheon High School pitcher chose to throw to first base instead of the lead runner, setting up a favorable situation with one out and runners on second and third base. At Lee Taek-keun's plate appearance, the Incheon High School pitcher committed a balk, allowing the runners to advance one base, giving the Fire Fighters a 6-4 lead. With a significant double hitting the wall from Lee Taek-keun, the score gap widened to three runs.
In the bottom of the sixth, Incheon High School brought out ace Lee Tae-yang. With a strong likelihood of being selected in the first round of the 2026 KBO draft, the Fire Fighters were sent back without scoring in a three-up-three-down inning. The Fire Fighters also brought out 'Two-Punch' Lee Dae-eun to easily close the inning starting from the seventh. The Fire Fighters added more runs in the bottom of the seventh, with Jeong Ui-yun, who is off to a strong start in the 2025 season, being the key player. He displayed a smooth swing, making solid contact with Lee Tae-yang's pitch for a solo home run, extending the score to 8-4. Lee Tae-yang, struck hard, regained his pride by striking out Jeong Sung-hoon and Lee Taek-keun.
Despite leading by four runs, the Fire Fighters could not let their guard down. In the top of the eighth, a hit by Lee Dae-eun that struck him and an error by third baseman Jeong Sung-hoon created a crisis with no outs and runners on first and second. Ultimately, the fifth hitter from Incheon High School hit a ball that went past first base, allowing the runner on second base to score and narrowing the gap between the Fire Fighters and Incheon High School. Manager Kim Sung-keun immediately went to the mound, and a stabilized Lee Dae-eun struck out the next batter. With one out and runners on second and third, the following batter swung at the first pitch and was out at second base, making the score 8-6. Later, Lee Dae-eun struck out again, helping the Fire Fighters extinguish the immediate fire.
Incheon High School displayed the passion to never give up until the end. In the bottom of the eighth, they made a decisive move by substituting catchers, successfully capturing Park Jae-wook with a ground ball. However, they surrendered a walk to Kim Jae-ho and an inside line hit to Jung Geun-woo, leading to a crisis with one out and runners on first and third. Incheon High School switched pitchers to Jung Hyun-woo, but with Choi Soo-hyun hitting a ground ball in front of the pitcher, Kim Jae-ho crossed home plate, widening the score gap with the Fire Fighters again. In the top of the ninth, Lee Dae-eun, who returned to the mound, secured the Fire Fighters' victory with a score of 9-6 while mixing in two strikeouts.
Meanwhile, episode 8 of Fire Baseball surpassed 100,000 concurrent viewers within just 12 minutes of its premiere. The peak concurrent viewership reached 238,900, proving its unquenchable popularity. Viewers watching the broadcast live that day expressed their excitement, saying, "I’m glad I got to watch after yesterday’s live broadcast," "Fire Baseball has the charm of watching it while chatting with the Biscuit Dolls," "Commentator Son Gun-young’s Fire Wig is too funny," "Incheon High School's fighting spirit is no joke," "Lee Dae-ho is recognized as a defense fairy," "Jeong Ui-yoon's solo home run was nice. The dopamine was insane," "This year is an extraordinary match," "Choi Soo-hyun is alive. Shout out to God Soo-hyun," "The match was thrilling and fun. Four consecutive wins are great," "My cure for my Monday sickness," and other enthusiastic reactions.
Next week, the second match between the Fire Fighters, who are on a winning streak of four games, and Incheon High School, which is burning with a desire for revenge, will take place. After experiencing the bitter taste of defeat in the first match, Incheon High School has been grinding through training late after the game. It remains to be seen whether the Fire Fighters will continue their winning streak in the second match on the 30th.
Nobody can predict the outcome of the second meeting between the Fire Fighters and Incheon High School, which will be available on the official YouTube channel Studio C1 at 8 p.m. on the 30th (Monday).
[Photo] Capture from 'Fire Baseball' episode 8
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