SEOUL, South Korea (Interstat) — In a tense, low-scoring affair defined by stellar pitching and late-inning resolve, the Lotte Giants broke a 1-1 deadlock with two runs in the top of the 10th inning to defeat the Kiwoom Heroes 3-1 on Saturday afternoon at Gocheok Sky Dome.

A crowd of 16,000 watched as starting pitchers Beasley of Lotte and Wiles of Kiwoom engaged in a masterful duel, each allowing just one early run before turning the game over to lockdown bullpens. The contest, which stretched into extra innings, saw Lotte outhit Kiwoom 11-5.

The game’s most critical sequence unfolded in the 10th inning against Kiwoom reliever Kim Jae-ung. With the score knotted, Lotte’s Jo-jo Reyes led off with a double to right-center field. No Jin-hyuk followed with a sharp single to left, moving Reyes to third. Han Dong-hui then hit a grounder to third, resulting in a fielder’s choice that allowed Reyes to dash home with the go-ahead run. Pinch-hitter Park Seung-wook, batting for Jeon Jun-woo, then delivered a crucial insurance run, singling to center to score No Jin-hyuk from second.

Lotte’s bullpen triumvirate of Choi E-jun, Park Jeong-min and Choi Jun-yong sealed the victory with 4 1/3 perfect innings of relief, combining for five strikeouts. Choi Jun-yong struck out two in a flawless bottom of the 10th to earn the save.

The scoring began abruptly in a bizarre first inning. Lotte was set down in order without plating a run. In the bottom half, Kiwoom’s Aaron Brooks reached on a fielder’s choice and then stole second. With two outs, veteran Choi Joo-hwan singled to center field. Brooks scored easily, and Choi advanced to second on the throw home, accounting for the Heroes’ only run and hit with a runner in scoring position all afternoon.

Lotte answered immediately in the second. Jeon Jun-woo and Han Tae-yang strung together singles, and with two outs, Son Seong-bin reached on a dropped third strike, loading the bases. Jeon Min-jae then hit a grounder to shortstop that was misplayed for an error, allowing two runs to score. Hwang Seong-bin followed with an infield single to reload the bases, but Kiwoom starter Wiles escaped further damage with a flyout.

From that point, Wiles and Lotte’s Beasley dominated. Wiles settled in brilliantly after the shaky second, ultimately pitching seven strong innings, allowing five hits and no earned runs while striking out six. Beasley was equally effective, matching Wiles pitch-for-pitch. He worked six innings, surrendering five hits and one earned run while striking out seven, rebounding sharply from a difficult outing his last time out.

Both bullpens were impenetrable until the 10th. Kiwoom’s Park Jeong-hun and Yuto Kanakubo kept Lotte off the board in the eighth and ninth, respectively. Lotte’s relievers, however, were perfect, retiring all 13 batters they faced from the sixth inning onward.

The victory improved Lotte’s record to 5-7, giving them consecutive wins for the first time this season and a series victory over Kiwoom. The Heroes fell to 3-9 with the loss, their fourth in five games.

Lotte will go for the series sweep on Sunday, April 12, in the finale of the three-game set at Gocheok Sky Dome. Kiwoom will look to avoid the sweep before embarking on a road trip.