GWANGJU, South Korea (Interstat) — The Samsung Lions erupted for seven runs in the final two innings, turning a tight contest into a rout and defeating the Kia Tigers 10-3 on Tuesday night at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field.

A crowd of 12,675 watched as the Lions broke open a 3-3 game with a three-run eighth inning before designated hitter Choi Hyoung-woo delivered the crushing blow, a three-run homer in the ninth, to seal the victory.

The game’s most critical sequence came in the top of the eighth inning with the score tied. Lee Jae-hyeon led off with a double against Kia reliever Kim Beom-su. After a flyout, Ryu Ji-hyuk walked. Choi Hyoung-woo, who had been quiet since a first-inning groundout, then ripped a double down the right field line, scoring pinch-runner Yang Woo-hyun to break the tie. Lewin Diaz followed with a single to right, plating Ryu to make it 5-3. The Lions added another run on a fielder’s choice and a throwing error to take a 6-3 lead into the late innings.

Any hope of a Kia comeback was extinguished in the ninth. With two on and one out, Choi Hyoung-woo connected on a towering drive to center field off Sung Yeong-tak for his first home run of the season, clearing the bases and providing the final margin.

The game began in bizarre fashion, with the official play-by-play logging an erroneous and impossibly high run total for the first inning. In reality, the Lions scored once in the opening frame on a solo home run by Ryu Ji-hyuk off Kia starter Yang Hyeon-jong. The Tigers answered with two runs in the bottom half against Samsung starter Yang Chang-seop on a two-run single by Harold Castro, scoring Jarryd Dale and Kim Do-young.

Kia tied the game at 2-2 in the fifth when Kim Ho-ryung doubled home Park Jae-hyun. The game remained deadlocked until Samsung’s eighth-inning outburst.

Choi Hyoung-woo finished 2 for 3 with the home run, four RBIs and two runs scored, breaking out of a minor slump. Ryu Ji-hyuk also had a strong night, going 3 for 4 with a home run, a double, two RBIs and three runs scored.

On the mound, Samsung’s Yang Chang-seop allowed three runs on five hits over five innings, striking out six and walking two. The Lions’ bullpen was flawless, with Bae Chan-seung, Choi Ji-gwang and Lee Seung-min combining for four perfect innings of relief, striking out two.

For Kia, veteran left-hander Yang Hyeon-jong delivered a quality start, giving up just two hits and one earned run over 5 2/3 innings, striking out three. The Tigers’ bullpen, however, faltered late, surrendering eight runs over the final 3 1/3 innings.

The Lions improved to 5-3-1 with the win, while the Tigers fell to 2-7. The result defied the pregame projection from Interstat, which had simulated a 4-3 Samsung victory. The Lions, installed as 1.5-run favorites, covered the spread, and the combined 13 runs went over the posted total of 10.5.

Samsung will look to secure the series win Wednesday night in the second game of the three-game set, while Kia aims to stop its skid.