DAEJEON, South Korea (Interstat) — In a back-and-forth affair that defied pregame projections, the Kia Tigers edged the Hanwha Eagles 6-5 on Friday night, riding a strong start from James Naile and timely home runs to snap a two-game skid.

A crowd of 17,000 at Daejeon Hanbat Baseball Stadium saw the visiting Tigers, installed as underdogs, improve to 4-7. The home Eagles fell to 6-5.

The most critical sequence of the game unfolded in the top of the ninth inning, with Kia clinging to a 5-3 lead. Kim Kyu-sung led off with a single against reliever Park Jun-yeong. After a sacrifice bunt, Jarryd Dale delivered a crucial RBI double down the left field line, scoring Kim Kyu-sung to provide a vital insurance run.

That run proved decisive. In the bottom of the ninth, Hanwha mounted a furious rally against Kia closer Kim Beom-su. After a strikeout, Kang Baek-ho launched a two-run homer to left field, his first of the season, pulling the Eagles within a run at 6-5. The next batter, Chae Eun-seong, who had homered in the second, followed with a sharp single to center, bringing the potential winning run to the plate. Kim Beom-su steadied himself, inducing a pop-out from Ha Ju-suk and a game-ending groundout from Choi Jae-hoon to secure his first save of the season.

The late drama capped a game where Kia’s power repeatedly answered Hanwha challenges. The Tigers broke a 1-1 tie in the fourth when Na Sung-bum clubbed a two-run homer to center field, scoring Kim Do-yeong, who had reached on an error. Kim Sun-bin added a solo shot in the sixth to make it 4-1. After Hanwha scratched out a run in the seventh, Kim Do-yeong restored the three-run cushion with a solo homer to left in the eighth.

Winning pitcher James Naile was the cornerstone of the victory, delivering his best start of the young season. The right-hander worked seven strong innings, allowing three runs on six hits while striking out four and walking none. He efficiently navigated the Hanwha lineup, recording 10 groundball outs. This performance marked a positive turnaround after taking the loss in his previous outing.

Hanwha starter Wilkel Hernandez took the loss, surrendering three runs, two earned, on four hits over five innings. He struck out three but was outdueled by Naile. The Eagles’ bullpen, aside from a scoreless inning from Cho Dong-uk, could not contain the Kia power surge.

Offensively, both teams finished with seven hits. For Kia, Na Sung-bum drove in two with his homer, while Kim Sun-bin and Kim Do-yeong each had solo shots. Hanwha was led by Kang Baek-ho’s two-hit, two-RBI night, which included the ninth-inning homer, and Chae Eun-seong, who also had two hits and two RBIs.

The result overturned the pregame analytics. Interstat’s game simulator had projected a 5-2 Hanwha victory, and its ELO system gave the Eagles a 57.7% probability to win. The combined 11 runs went over the posted over/under line of 9.0.

The Tigers will look to build on the narrow win as the series continues Saturday in Daejeon. Hanwha will aim to even the set before both clubs embark on extended homestands and road trips next week.