CAMP HENRY, South Korea — Even a three-week layoff couldn’t halt the Taegu ACE’s recent hot streak.

Robert Baughman and Adam Kirk combined to pitch three-hit ball, and Kevin Rioles and Jake Ramos each belted a two-run home run on Sunday as ACE beat the Taegu Phillies 4-1 for its fourth straight win — after losing its first five games of the season.

With the victory, ACE, composed of Taegu-area GIs, DOD civilians and dependents and Korean civilians, remained in a three-way tie for fourth place in the amateur Hammer League. Two South Korean teams in the league also are 4-3.

ACE has outscored its last four foes 65-30. All four victories have come since the team switched from Atlanta Braves-style uniforms of gray with black and red piping to red jerseys.

“Once again, our red jerseys brought us luck,” said coach Pedro Arocho, who said after ACE’s last victory three weeks earlier that the team would not switch back until it lost a game.

Unlike the first three victories in the winning streak, this time pitching and defense saved ACE, which managed just five hits and struck out 12 times.

“Hopefully, our batting woes are only temporary,” Arocho said. “We will work on hitting all this week” in practice.

Rioles gave ACE the only runs it would need with two outs in the third. Arocho singled with one out and moved to second base on Ramos’ groundout. Then Rioles lifted his home run into the left-field net at Victory Field. Ramos added his two-run blast two innings later.

Migrated