INCHEON, South Korea (Interstat) — The Kiwoom Heroes, staggering from a winless start and facing a team that had dominated them just a day prior, authored a stunning and immediate rebuttal Wednesday evening at Munhak Baseball Stadium. Unleashing an offensive barrage from the game’s very first pitch, the Heroes pounded out 15 hits and routed the previously surging Shinsegae Landers 11-2 before a crowd of 12,921.

The most important part of the game was its emphatic and decisive beginning. The Heroes, who entered with a 0-3 record having been outscored 29-16, immediately flipped the script on the Landers and their ace, Moon Seung-won. The first inning was not merely a scoring rally; it was a comprehensive statement that dismantled the pregame narrative. Interstat’s game simulator had projected a 4-2 Landers victory, and its ELO system gave Shinsegae a 69.1 percent probability to win. Kiwoom, defying those numbers and their own recent history, rendered those projections obsolete within minutes.

The tone was set by leadoff hitter Aaron Brooks, the Heroes’ first baseman, who singled down the right field line on Moon’s third pitch. Lee Ju-hyung, the center fielder and a key performer, followed by lashing a double down the left field line to score Brooks. After a strikeout, Kim Gun-hee reached on a dropped third strike, extending the inning. Choo Jae-hyun then singled to left, plating Lee. Park Chan-hyeok added another single, and Eo Joon-seo worked a walk to load the bases, chasing a visibly shaken Moon Seung-won from the mound after recording just one out.

Reliever Park Si-hoo could not stem the tide, inducing a groundout that scored another run. When the inning finally ended, the Heroes had sent nine men to the plate, scored three runs on four hits and a walk, and established a commanding lead they would never relinquish. That first-inning explosion provided an insurmountable cushion for a parade of Kiwoom pitchers and completely altered the pressure dynamics of the contest.

The Heroes added a single run in the fifth when Lee Ju-hyung doubled and scored on An Chi-hong’s double to right-center. They tacked on another in the sixth as Brooks doubled and later scored on a productive out. Meanwhile, the Kiwoom pitching committee stifled the Landers’ potent lineup. Starter Bae Dong-hyun set the foundation, and relievers Park Jin-hyung, Kim Seong-jin, Park Yun-sung and Yuto Kanakubo combined to limit Shinsegae to eight hits. The Landers, who had scored 27 runs in their first three victories, were held scoreless until the sixth inning, when Kim Jae-hwan scored on a double play grounder by Choi Ji-hoon.

Any lingering doubt was extinguished in the top of the ninth, as the Heroes erupted for five runs to put the game far out of reach. With the score 6-1, Park Chan-hyeok and Eo Joon-seo singled, and Park Han-gyeol walked to load the bases. After a strikeout, Aaron Brooks reached on a fielder’s choice that allowed one run to score. Lee Ju-hyung then delivered the crushing blow, a two-run double to left-center, finishing his night 4-for-6 with three doubles, three runs scored and three RBIs. An Chi-hong followed with an RBI single to cap the scoring at 11.

Shinsegae managed a consolation run in the bottom of the ninth against mop-up duty, but the outcome had been decided in the first frame. The Landers’ offense, so prolific in building a 3-0 start, went 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position and stranded eight baserunners.

The victory marked the first win of the season for Kiwoom, improving their record to 1-3. It also snapped a two-game losing streak against their opponents after a 9-3 defeat on Tuesday. Shinsegae fell to 3-1. The teams will conclude their three-game series Thursday at Munhak Baseball Stadium before both embark on extended series against other opponents. Kiwoom will host the LG Twins for three games beginning Friday, while Shinsegae travels to face the Lotte Giants.

The total runs scored, 13, went under the pregame over/under line of 10.5, a fact overshadowed entirely by Kiwoom’s unexpected and overwhelming performance from the outset.