SUWON-SI, South Korea (Interstat) — The KT Wiz erupted for six runs in a chaotic seventh inning Wednesday night, transforming a tight pitchers’ duel into a decisive 8-3 victory over the Kia Tigers at Suwon Baseball Stadium.

A crowd of 14,428 watched as the home team’s offense, held to just one run through six frames, sent 11 batters to the plate in the seventh, capitalizing on timely hitting and a critical Kia error to seize control of the game and the series opener.

The contest began as a stark contrast to its frantic finish. Kia starter James Naile and a trio of KT pitchers, beginning with Wes Sauer, engaged in a tense battle. The Tigers scratched out a run in the sixth when Australian infielder Jarryd Dale launched a solo home run to right field, breaking a 1-1 tie. That lead expanded to 3-1 in the top of the seventh, as Kia patiently worked three consecutive walks with one out to force in a run, then added another on a bases-loaded walk by Kim Ho-ryung.

Holding a two-run advantage, the Tigers turned the game over to their bullpen. It proved to be a disastrous decision. Jung Hai-young and Han Jae-seung failed to record an out in the bottom of the seventh, setting the stage for the monumental Wiz rally.

The inning started innocuously with an infield single by Kim Hyun-soo and a walk to Lee Jeong-hoon. After a groundout advanced both runners, Kia opted to intentionally walk Oh Yoon-suk to load the bases with one out. Han Seung-taek then dribbled a slow roller to third, beating the throw for an infield single that scored Kim Hyun-soo to cut the deficit to 3-2.

The floodgates then burst open. Lee Gang-min laced a two-run single down the left field line, scoring Jang Sung-woo and Oh Yoon-suk to give KT a 4-3 lead, its first of the night. Choi Won-joon followed with a single to center. When Kia shortstop Kim Do-young mishandled the ball, Han Seung-taek raced home and the other runners moved into scoring position. Kim Min-hyeok delivered the crushing blow, driving a two-run single down the left field line to score both Choi and Lee Gang-min, capping the six-run outburst and putting the game out of reach at 7-3.

The Wiz added an insurance run in the eighth on a Kim Hyun-soo double and a subsequent wild pitch.

The decisive seventh inning was the clear turning point, negating Kia’s careful offensive work and a strong start from Naile. The Tigers managed only five hits total, with Dale’s homer representing their only extra-base hit. KT, conversely, piled up 13 hits, with seven coming in the fateful seventh.

KT reliever Ju Kwon earned the win despite allowing two inherited runners to score in the seventh. Son Dong-hyun and Jeon Yong-ju provided critical scoreless relief to stabilize the game after the Wiz took the lead. Han Jae-seung took the loss for Kia.

The victory improved KT’s record to 15-6, solidifying their strong early-season form. The Tigers fell to 10-11, dropping their second consecutive game in this series after an 11-inning loss the previous night. The two teams meet again in Suwon on Thursday to conclude the three-game set.

The final score defied the pregame projection from Interstat’s game simulator, which had forecast a 6-5 Kia victory. While KT’s ELO rating gave them a 58.3% probability to win, the eight-run output combined with Kia’s three sent the total score of 11 under the pregame over/under line of 9.0.