GWANGJU, South Korea (Interstat) — In a wild, back-and-forth contest that defied pregame projections, the Kia Tigers rallied from an early five-run deficit to defeat the Kiwoom Heroes 7-6 on Wednesday evening at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field. A crowd of 10,981 watched as the Tigers clawed back, ultimately securing the series victory behind a potent offensive display and a lockdown performance from their bullpen.

The game’s most critical sequence unfolded in the bottom of the second inning, transforming the contest entirely. The Heroes, leveraging small ball and timely hitting, had staked themselves to a commanding 5-0 lead in the top of the first. Lee Joo-hyung, who had stolen second and advanced to third on a groundout, scored the first run on an Aaron Brooks single. Brooks then came home on a subsequent play, part of a relentless opening frame that saw Kiwoom bat around and capitalize on Kia’s early struggles.

Facing a significant hole, the Tigers’ response in their half of the second was immediate and explosive. After a walk to Han Jun-su and a sacrifice bunt, Kim Kyu-sung doubled down the left field line to plate Kia’s first run. Park Jae-hyun followed with a single that brought Kim Kyu-sung home, and after a foul out, Kim Ho-ryung delivered the inning’s pivotal blow. The center fielder launched a two-run homer to left field, suddenly tying the game at 4-4 and electrifying the home crowd. The rally was far from over. Kim Sun-bin walked, Kim Do-young singled, and Na Sung-bum ripped a double over the center fielder’s head to score Kim Sun-bin, capping a six-run outburst that gave Kia a 6-5 lead and completely reversing the game’s momentum.

Kiwoom, however, refused to relent. In the top of the third, Park Joo-hong and Kim Ji-seok hit back-to-back solo home runs off Kia starter Kim Yi-hwan, reclaiming a narrow 7-6 advantage for the Heroes. The game then settled into a tense stalemate for the next three innings, with both bullpens beginning to exert control.

The decisive blow came in the bottom of the seventh. With the score still locked at 7-6, Kia third baseman Kim Do-young stepped in against Kiwoom reliever Kim Seong-jin. On a 1-1 pitch, Kim Do-young connected, sending a solo shot over the left field wall to tie the game once more, this time at 7-7. The homer was Kim Do-young’s third hit of the night and his second RBI, solidifying his status as a key performer.

Kia’s bullpen quartet of Hong Geon-hui, Kim Beom-su, Lee Tae-yang, and ultimately winning pitcher Kim Beom-su, who was credited with the victory, proved impenetrable over the final four innings. They combined for four scoreless frames, allowing just one hit and striking out three. Kim Beom-su was particularly sharp in the eighth, striking out two in a perfect inning of work.

Conversely, Kiwoom’s relief corps, aside from a scoreless inning from Oh Seok-joo, could not hold the line. The Heroes missed a crucial opportunity in the top of the eighth when Kim Gun-hee led off with a single and advanced to second on an error, but was left stranded as An Chi-hong struck out to end the threat.

The Tigers secured the winning run in the bottom of the eighth without the benefit of a hit. After two quick groundouts, Jarryd Dale kept the inning alive with a single to center. Kim Ho-ryung, continuing his stellar night, followed with another single, moving Dale into scoring position. Kim Sun-bin then hit a grounder to short, resulting in a fielder’s choice that forced Kim Ho-ryung at second, but more importantly allowed Dale to race home from third with what proved to be the decisive run.

Lee Tae-yang worked a flawless top of the ninth, securing the save and cementing the comeback victory for the home side. The win improved Kia’s record to 8-7 on the young Korea Baseball Organization season, while Kiwoom’s frustrating start continued, dropping them to 4-11.

The offensive output was evenly matched, with both teams recording 12 hits. For Kia, Kim Do-young finished 3-for-4 with a home run and two RBIs, while Kim Ho-ryung went 3-for-5 with a homer and two RBIs of his own. Kiwoom was led by Park Joo-hong, who was 3-for-4 with a homer and an RBI, and Lee Ju-hyoung, who added a solo home run. The game time was 3 hours and 29 minutes.

The victory gave Kia the series win after taking the opener 6-2 on Tuesday. The two teams conclude their three-game set on Thursday before embarking on separate road trips. Kiwoom will travel to Suwon for a weekend series against the KT Wiz, while Kia heads to Seoul to face the Doosan Bears at Jamsil Stadium.

The result stood in contrast to the pregame analytics from Interstat, whose simulator had projected a 5-3 Kia win and whose ELO system gave the Tigers a 66.7 percent probability of victory. Despite being installed as a slight pregame favorite on the spread, Kiwoom’s early explosion was not enough to overcome Kia’s resilient offense and superior relief pitching, continuing a pattern of late-game struggles for the Heroes this season.