"I felt so sorry for the coach (Lee Ho-joon). A lot of fans came, and I wanted to repay him."

Kim Hwi-jip, who led the NC Dinos to escape three consecutive losses, expressed his feelings.

NC, led by head coach Lee Ho-joon, beat manager Yeom Kyung-yeop's LG Twins 6-5 after extra-time blood in the 2025 professional baseball KBO League away game held at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul on the 22nd.

Kim Hwi-jip's performance as the sixth batter and third baseman was brilliant. He took the lead in NC's victory by hitting the final hit.메이저사이트

From the beginning, Kim's bat turned fiercely. With no runners on one out and one out at the top of the second inning when NC was losing 0-2, right-hander Lim Chan-kyu hit a 110-kilometer curve ball to produce a clean hit to the left. Seo Ho-cheol also scored a two-point arch to the left with a flying distance of 115 meters.

Kim Hwi-jip, who returned with a sacrifice bunt in the top of the fourth inning, a grounder to shortstop in the top of the fifth inning, and a strikeout in the top of the eighth inning, showed his presence again in the top of the 10th inning when the two teams were tied 5-5. With Kwon Hee-dong's double to the left, right-handed bullpen pitcher Jang Hyun-sik hit a 132-km slider at three pitches and scored a timely double that separates left-center field. It was the moment that Kim had the finishing hit. Kim's final result was two hits and one RBI from four times at bat.

After the game, Kim Hwi-jip said, "I love LG so much these days. There are many good seniors, and I think it's a relief that we lost consecutive games against good teams. A lot of fans came, and I wanted to repay them."

"I felt like I was over-swinging in the previous at-bat. I swung and missed a fastball. I thought I shouldn't do this. I tried to relax and center as much as possible. It wasn't a situation where I needed something big," he said, looking back on the moment he hit the final hit.

It was all the more meaningful because he performed well to overcome his recent slump. Kim had no hit in eight times at bat in the three consecutive games against the Hanwha Eagles at Hanwha Life Ballpark in Daejeon from Friday to Sunday. He also committed a total of three errors in defense, which made him laugh. NC also lost three consecutive games and lost three consecutive games.

Kim Hui-jip said, "My performance was so bad in the three consecutive games of Hanwha, but I think I started it bad. I wanted to make up for it in Jamsil. But I wanted to be energetic as the youngest because trying to make up for it doesn't mean I can. I couldn't play baseball for three consecutive games, and even though I was the youngest, I couldn't bring in energy. I felt sorry for everyone because I didn't do anything."

Then, he nodded, "I think I play the worst series every April. The director didn't say much when we met at the sauna today. He only said, 'How are you going to hit the ball?' He said, 'Cheer up,' and I was so sorry. I wanted to say, 'Director, I'll do my best to cheer up,' but I couldn't say it on the spot."

"Overall, I was very determined to win," Kim said. "When I blocked (the risk of losing) in the ninth inning, I felt that I had one more chance. I just picked up a spoon at the end. (Starting pitcher) (Shin) Min-hyuk threw it well. (Kwon) Hee-dong also got on base well. "They played all the games in front of me," he said. "I felt I could catch Kim Hyun-soo's hit (who made it 4-4 at 4-3) at the bottom of the eighth inning, which was a bit disappointing. I felt so sorry. Left-handed hitters' hitters rolled in a bit. When I first hit the ball, it was on the other side, but I rolled in. The third baseman is very picky in such areas. What has changed this year is that he tries to break down the wall by himself. I keep tapping the ball, thinking that the day will come when I will improve my defense."

He continued, "I hope (the victory) will be a turning point for the team. Personally, hitting is not good, but the details are not working well in the elements. You have to pay attention to that first. Even if your batting average is not good, you seem to immerse yourself in good batting when you have chances, but it is not good in situations where you do not. I feel sorry for the details of the defense. I try to remind myself of those parts and take care of them."

Recently, NC has been plagued by many injuries. Park Gun-woo (hamstring) and Matt Davidson (damage) were all out of the lineup. It is a big negative news, but it could be an opportunity for young players like Kim Hui-jip.

Kim Hui-jip said, "I want to energize myself. I want to energize myself, but I can't because I'm so bad at baseball. I was in a slump. I'm not just a young player. I have to be good at baseball. I have to be good at baseball, but I think I have a hard time in April every year. I try to overcome it well. It's important to be consistent."

NC has not been able to play its home game recently in the aftermath of the Changwon NC Park structure crash on March 29.

Kim Hwi-jip said, "I want to go back to Changwon as soon as possible because it's resolved well. Of course, I miss my home fans a lot," and added, "But I have to work hard in the given situation." A lot of (fans) will come to the away game as well. The coach, coach, and the front office are working really hard. As everyone is struggling, I and other players should show good performance."