DAEGU, South Korea (Interstat) — The Samsung Lions rallied from a four-run deficit with a five-run second inning and held off a persistent NC Dinos offense to secure a 5-4 victory Saturday evening at Daegu Samsung Lions Park.

A crowd of 24,000 watched the Lions even the weekend series at a game apiece and improve their season record to 7-4-1. The Dinos fell to .500 at 6-6.

The game’s decisive and most important sequence unfolded in the bottom of the second inning. After the Dinos had staked themselves to a 4-0 lead without a hit in a bizarre top of the first, the Lions’ offense erupted to seize control. Ryu Ji-hyuk led off the frame with a double down the left field line. After a flyout, Jeon Byeong-woo singled him home to put Samsung on the board.

NC starter Kim Young-kyu then lost his command, walking Park Sei-hyok and Yang Woo-hyun to load the bases. He hit Park Seung-kyu with a pitch to force in another run. Kim was relieved by Bae Jae-whan, but Kim Ji-chan greeted him with a towering double that cleared the bases, scoring three runs to give Samsung a 5-4 lead. Choi Hyoung-woo followed with a groundout to second that plated Ji-chan, capping the five-run, three-hit inning that ultimately decided the contest.

The Dinos had taken their early lead in an unconventional opening inning. Park Min-woo walked, stole second, and advanced to third on a flyout. With Lee Woo-sung at the plate, the Dinos executed a double steal, with Park Min-woo swiping home for the game’s first run. Later in the inning, with the bases loaded, Kim Whee-jip and Kim Hyung-jun were both hit by pitches, forcing in two more runs. A fourth run scored on a wild pitch during Kim Hyung-jun’s at-bat.

NC catcher Kim Hyung-jun was a bright spot in the loss, going a perfect 4-for-4 at the plate with two doubles and two RBIs. His two-run double in the third inning tied the game at 5-5 after Samsung’s big rally.

From there, the game transformed into a bullpen duel. The Lions’ relief corps combined for 7 1/3 scoreless innings, allowing just four hits. Key contributions came from Baek Jung-hyun (2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R), Lee Seung-hyun (1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 K), and closer Kim Jae-yoon, who worked a perfect ninth inning for the save. Miyaji Yura struck out two in a scoreless eighth.

The Dinos’ relievers were equally sharp after the second-inning outburst. Following Bae Jae-whan, Lim Ji-min, Won Jong-hae, and Kim Young-kyu combined for 5 1/3 innings of shutout ball, allowing only two hits and striking out four to keep NC within striking distance.

NC threatened in the sixth and eighth innings, putting runners in scoring position, but each time the Samsung bullpen escaped. In the eighth, Kim Hyung-jun singled with one out for his fourth hit, but Lions reliever Miyaji Yura struck out Choi Jeong-won and got Kim Ju-won to ground out to shortstop to end the threat.

The victory gave Samsung its second straight win over NC after taking the series opener 8-5 on Friday. The Lions’ offense, which had been held to five runs, proved to be just enough on a night when their bullpen delivered a dominant performance.

The Dinos, who had lost three of their last four coming in, continued to struggle with situational hitting, stranding multiple runners in key moments despite out-hitting Samsung 7 to 6.

The teams conclude their three-game series Sunday afternoon in Daegu. The Dinos will look to avoid the series sweep before returning home to face the KT Wiz, while the Lions will aim for a series win before embarking on a road trip to face the Hanwha Eagles.

Pregame projections had favored NC, with Interstat’s game simulator predicting a 5-4 Dinos victory and its ELO system giving Samsung a 57.3% probability to win. The combined nine runs fell well under the posted over/under line of 11.5.