SUWON-SI, South Korea (Interstat) — In a tightly contested Saturday afternoon affair that stretched into the evening, the KT Wiz capitalized on early Doosan mistakes and a clutch home run from Ahn Hyun-min to secure a 6-4 victory over the Doosan Bears at a sun-drenched, then night-lit Suwon Baseball Stadium.

A crowd of 18,700 watched as the Wiz, rebounding from a heartbreaking 11-inning loss to the same team the night before, improved their season record to 8-4-1. The Bears, who had won a dramatic extra-inning game Friday, fell to 4-7-1 with the defeat, which saw the teams combine for 18 hits.

The most important part of the game unfolded in the middle innings, transforming a pitchers’ duel into a back-and-forth contest. After three scoreless frames, KT broke through in the bottom of the third against Doosan starter Zach Logue, fueled by defensive lapses. Heo Kyoung-min singled and Lee Gang-min reached on a critical error by Doosan third baseman An Jae-seok, putting two runners in scoring position. Bae Jeong-dae then delivered a two-run single to center, and after a Kim Hyun-soo single, Ahn Hyun-min lined another RBI single to left, giving KT a 3-0 lead.

Doosan, held in check by KT starter So Hyeong-jun, finally answered in the top of the seventh. Park Jun-soon singled and Yang Eui-ji doubled, setting the stage for a sacrifice fly from Daz Cameron and an RBI double from Oh Myeong-jin, cutting the deficit to 3-2.

KT responded immediately in the bottom of the fifth. Leading off the inning, Ahn Hyun-min turned on a Logue offering and launched a solo home run to left field, restoring a two-run cushion at 4-2. That swing proved pivotal, providing a cushion the Wiz would not relinquish.

The Bears mounted their most serious threat in the top of the eighth, chasing So Hyeong-jun after back-to-back hits. Reliever Park Yeong-hyun entered with runners on second and third and no outs. An Jae-seok atoned for his earlier error by lashing a two-run single to center, tying the game at 4-4 and putting the go-ahead run on base. Park Yeong-hyun, however, bore down, striking out Yang Eui-ji and Daz Cameron before getting Yang Suk-hwan to fly out, escaping the jam and keeping the game tied.

In the bottom of the eighth, KT reclaimed the lead for good against Doosan reliever Yun Tae-ho. Pinch-runner Ryu Jun-kyu walked, stole second, advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt, and scored on a Lee Gang-min groundout. They added an insurance run later in the inning to make it 6-4.

Park Yeong-hyun returned for the ninth and retired the Bears in order, sealing the victory and earning the win. So Hyeong-jun, despite not factoring in the decision, was the top star for KT. He delivered a crucial quality start, pitching seven strong innings, allowing two earned runs on four hits while striking out seven, a marked improvement over his two previous outings this season. Park Yeong-hyun earned the win with two perfect innings of relief.

For Doosan, Logue took a no-decision after six innings of work, yielding three earned runs on nine hits. Kim Jeong-woo provided a scoreless inning of relief with three strikeouts, but Yun Tae-ho was charged with the loss after surrendering the decisive runs in the eighth.

Ahn Hyun-min led the KT offense, going 3 for 4 with the go-ahead home run and two RBIs. For Doosan, An Jae-seok drove in two runs, both coming on his game-tying single in the eighth.

The victory defied the pregame projections from Interstat, which had simulated a 7-2 KT win and gave the Wiz a 61.7% probability of victory. While KT covered the +1.5 spread as favorites, the total combined runs of 10 fell just under the over/under line of 10.5.

The two teams conclude their three-game series on Sunday afternoon in Suwon. The Bears will then travel to face the Shinsegae Landers for a three-game set starting Tuesday, while the Wiz will host the NC Dinos for a three-game series beginning the same day.