SEOUL, South Korea (Interstat) — In a tense, low-scoring affair defined by missed opportunities and a single decisive swing, the Kiwoom Heroes edged the NC Dinos 2-1 on Tuesday evening at Gocheok Sky Dome, a result that defied pregame projections and deepened both clubs’ early-season struggles.

The game, a pitchers’ duel in practice if not in total hits, saw the Heroes strand 10 baserunners while the Dinos left seven on, with the outcome hinging on a pivotal seventh-inning sequence. Interstat’s game simulator had projected a 2-1 victory for the Dinos, who were also given a 61.3% probability to win by the same service’s ELO system. Instead, the Heroes, installed as underdogs with a +1.5 spread, secured just their sixth win against 14 losses. The total of three runs fell dramatically under the over/under line of 8.5. NC fell to 8-11.

For six innings, the teams traded solitary runs in a game that felt destined for a slim margin. Kiwoom struck first in the bottom of the third. Lee Joo-hyung doubled over the head of the right fielder and later scored on a sharp single to right-center by Aaron Brooks, knotting the game at 1-1.

NC had scratched across its lone run in the top of the fifth, capitalizing on Kiwoom defensive miscues. Shortstop Kim Ju-won, who finished the night 3-for-4 with a double and two stolen bases, led off with a single. He then stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error by the catcher. After Shin Jae-in was hit by a pitch and Park Min-woo walked to load the bases, Matthew Davidson delivered a sacrifice fly to right, plating Kim Ju-won. The Dinos, however, could not muster another run despite collecting six hits.

The narrative of squandered chances was most acute for NC in the top of the seventh. Kim Ju-won again sparked the rally, doubling in front of the right fielder. A walk to Shin Jae-in put two on with nobody out. Park Min-woo then singled sharply to center field, but Kim Ju-won was held at third. The inning unraveled when center fielder Song Ji-hoo mishandled the ball, allowing the runners to advance. Yet, with the go-ahead run just 90 feet away and still no outs, NC failed to capitalize. Davidson grounded out to second with the infield in, holding the runners, and Park Kun-woo and Lee Woo-sung followed with weak outs, stranding the potential lead run at third.

That failure proved immediately and decisively costly. In the bottom of the seventh, Kim Ji-seok led off for Kiwoom with a single in front of left field. After a strikeout, Im Ji-yeol stepped in. On a pivotal 1-1 pitch, Im Ji-yeol drove a ball deep to right field that sailed over the head of the outfielder for a run-scoring double. The relay play was chaotic, with Im Ji-yeol aggressively taking third as Kim Ji-seok crossed the plate with what stood as the winning run. The NC bullpen, which had been solid, could not overcome the one-run deficit.

Kiwoom’s pitching staff, despite allowing traffic on the bases, consistently found outs in critical moments. The Dinos went 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position and grounded into a series of inning-killing outs. Heroes’ starter Kim Dong-hyun and a trio of relievers scattered the six NC hits, with the bullpen delivering three perfect innings to close the door.

The victory provides a modest boost for a Kiwoom team that has found wins hard to secure in the young season. For NC, the loss continues a pattern of narrow defeats, having now dropped four of their last six games, many by close margins. The two teams will meet again Wednesday and Thursday at Gocheok Sky Dome to complete the series before embarking on separate road trips. NC will travel to face the Hanwha Eagles in Daejeon over the weekend, while Kiwoom prepares to host the Samsung Lions starting Friday.