DAEGU, South Korea (Interstat) — Samsung Lions scored two runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to rally past the KT Wiz 4-3 on Saturday afternoon at Daegu Samsung Lions Park, completing a game that lasted only eight innings.

The Lions trailed 3-2 entering the final frame before Koo Ja-wook led off with a single to left-center off KT reliever Sugimoto Koki. Kim Sung-yoon executed a sacrifice bunt to move Koo to second, and Park Seung-kyu drew a walk. Choi Hyoung-woo then delivered the decisive hit, a single to center-right that scored both Koo and Park, giving Samsung a 4-3 lead. Sugimoto had entered the inning after KT starter Benjamin Allen had pitched six strong innings.

Allen allowed two earned runs on five hits and struck out five over six innings. He left with a 3-2 lead after the Wiz had scored once in the sixth. KT took the lead in the top of the sixth on a triple by Choi Won-joon that scored Kwon Dong-jin.

Samsung starter Won Tae-in, named the top star for the Lions, pitched five innings, allowing one earned run on seven hits while striking out five. He did not factor in the decision. The Lions’ bullpen then held KT scoreless over the final three innings. Lee Seung-hyun pitched a perfect seventh with two strikeouts, Kim Jae-yoon worked a scoreless eighth despite allowing a hit, while Kim Tae-hoon and Baek Jung-hyun also contributed scoreless innings.

For KT, Allen was the standout, but the Wiz could not hold the lead. KT’s offense collected 11 hits, including four from left fielder Sam Hilliard, who went 4-for-5 with an RBI. Hilliard singled in a run in the third inning to put KT ahead 1-0. The Wiz added a run in the fourth on a single by Kwon Dong-jin that scored Han Seung-taek, making it 2-0. After Samsung cut the lead to 2-1 in the third and then 3-2 in the fifth, Choi Won-joon’s triple in the sixth extended the margin to 3-2.

Samsung managed only seven hits overall but made them count in the eighth. Choi Hyoung-woo, the Lions’ designated hitter, went 1-for-4 but drove in the two most important runs of the game. His single in the eighth provided the margin of victory.

The game was completed in eight innings, shorter than the standard nine, but no reason was given. The attendance was announced at 24,000.

The Lions improved to 43-30-2, while the Wiz fell to 43-31-1. Samsung moved a half-game ahead of KT in the standings, though both teams have played different numbers of games.

The victory continued a trend in the head-to-head series. In their previous meeting on Friday, Samsung routed KT 9-1. Over the last nine matchups dating to April, Samsung has won six, including four of the last five. The win also avenged a three-game sweep by KT in early June, when the Wiz took all three games in Suwon.

Won Tae-in, who allowed just one earned run in his previous start against Kiwoom on June 16, continued his strong form. In that outing, he threw six shutout innings in a 4-1 win. He was efficient Saturday, throwing five innings and limiting damage despite allowing seven hits.

KT entered the game having won three of their previous four, including a 12-7 win over Shinsegae Landers on Thursday. But the Wiz struggled to generate sustained offense against Samsung’s bullpen after chasing Won. In the top of the seventh, KT put runners on first and second with two outs but failed to score when Heo Kyoung-min flied out to right. In the top of the eighth, the Wiz went down in order.

The Lions, meanwhile, had lost two of their previous three games, including a 2-0 defeat to LG on Wednesday. Their offense came alive late Saturday. Ryu Ji-hyuk scored the Lions’ first run in the third inning on a single by Sim Jae-hoon after drawing a leadoff walk. In the fifth, Ryu again walked and eventually scored on a single by Kim Sung-yoon, cutting KT’s lead to 3-2. But the Lions left the bases loaded in the fifth.

The decisive eighth inning began with Sugimoto on the mound. After Koo’s single and Kim’s bunt, Park’s walk brought up Choi, who delivered. Sugimoto then struck out Lewin Diaz before walking Kang Min-ho, but Ryu Ji-hyuk struck out to end the inning.

KT threatened in its half of the eighth against Samsung closer Kim Jae-yoon, but with two outs and a runner on first, Kim got Choi Won-joon to fly out to left to end the game.

The two teams will meet again Sunday for the series finale. KT then travels to Hanwha for three games, while Samsung visits NC for three. The Wiz return home next weekend to face Lotte, and the Lions head to Shinsegae Landers.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of KT Wiz 6, Samsung Lions 5. Interstat’s ELO system had projected Samsung with a 56.20 percent probability to win. KT had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of minus 1.5. The total score of seven went over the over/under line of 9.5.