GWANGJU (Interstat) — Adam Oller and three Kia relievers combined on a five-hit shutout, and the Tigers scored twice in the seventh inning to beat the Kiwoom Heroes 2-0 on Thursday night at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field. Oller, a Kia right-hander, allowed three hits over six scoreless innings, walked three and struck out five. The victory moved Kia to 67-55-3. Kiwoom dropped to 45-77-8. A crowd of 15,470 watched the game, which stayed scoreless until the bottom of the seventh.

Oller was the top star for Kia. He kept Kiwoom off balance for six innings and departed with the game still tied. Kiwoom right-hander An Woo-jin matched him for six innings, scattering five hits with two walks and four strikeouts. An also allowed no earned runs while throwing six complete innings. The duel kept both offenses quiet through the first six innings, although each side created chances. Kia finished with 10 hits. Kiwoom finished with five hits.

Kiwoom’s best early opportunity came in the third. Seo Geon-chang reached on an infield single to the right side. Choo Jae-hyun walked after Seo advanced to second on a balk. Matthew Davidson lined out to second to end the inning. In the fourth, Kim Woong-bin singled down the left-field line and stole second base. Park Ju-hong struck out and Eo Joon-seo grounded out to second, leaving Kim stranded. In the fifth, Seo singled to left field, but Choo grounded out to second.

Kia had traffic on the bases throughout the first six innings but could not break through against An. Han Jun-su singled to center field in the first inning, and Harold Castro grounded into a double play. In the third, Kim Ho-ryung singled to center field and moved to second on a groundout. Park Jung-woo was hit by a pitch, but Han grounded out to first. In the fourth, Castro singled to left and Na Sung-bum walked. Kim Sun-bin fouled out to first, and Ha Ju-suk reached on a fielder’s choice that forced Na at second. Kim Ho-ryung walked to load the bases, but Kim Tae-gun grounded out to short. In the sixth, Castro doubled to left-center and Na singled to left, but the inning ended without a run.

The decisive sequence came in the seventh. Kim Tae-gun walked to open the inning. Jeong Hyun-chang bunted to the pitcher, and Kim Tae-gun was out on the play. Park Jung-woo then walked. Han Jun-su followed with a double to right field that scored Park Jung-woo. Yoon Do-hyun, running for Han, later scored on Harold Castro’s single to right field. Han finished 2-for-4 with one RBI. Castro went 3-for-4 with one RBI. That gave Kia all the offense it needed.

Kia’s bullpen protected the lead. Lee Eui-lee struck out all three batters he faced in the eighth inning. Cho Sang-woo recorded two outs with one strikeout. Kwak Do-gyu allowed one hit and one walk while striking out one over two-thirds of an inning. Jeon Sang-hyun allowed one hit over two-thirds of an inning. The relief work kept Kiwoom from mounting a comeback.

Kiwoom’s bullpen also held Kia in check after An left. Kanakubo Yuto pitched one inning and allowed two hits with one strikeout. Yun Seok-won retired one batter and allowed one hit. Kia threatened again in the eighth when Ha Ju-suk singled and Kim Ho-ryung singled. Kim Tae-gun sacrificed to first, moving both runners into scoring position. A double steal attempt led to Ha Ju-suk being caught stealing, and Jeong Hyun-chang struck out to end the inning. Kia left the runners stranded but already had a two-run lead.

The Tigers had several other contributors. Na Sung-bum singled and walked. Kim Ho-ryung singled and walked. Ha Ju-suk singled in the eighth. Kim Sun-bin reached on a fielder’s choice in the sixth and later was involved in a defensive play on the bases. Kim Tae-gun walked in the seventh and sacrificed in the eighth. Park Jung-woo walked and was hit by a pitch. The Kia offense finished with 10 hits but left multiple runners on base.

Kiwoom’s best chance before the seventh came in the third. Seo Geon-chang reached on an infield single to the right side. Choo Jae-hyun walked after Seo advanced to second on a balk. Matthew Davidson lined out to second to end the inning. In the fourth, Kim Woong-bin singled and stole second, but Park Ju-hong struck out and Eo Joon-seo grounded out to second. In the seventh, Eo doubled to right-center and moved to third on Kim Jae-hyun’s sacrifice bunt, but Gwon Hyuk-bin grounded out to short and Seo Geon-chang struck out. In the eighth, Choo singled to right-center and Keston Hiura walked, but Kim Woong-bin popped out to first and Park Ju-hong struck out.

The game was played in the evening at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field in Gwangju, South Korea. It was the first meeting between the teams since Aug. 23, when they played to a scoreless tie. Kia had won two of the previous three head-to-head games before Thursday. The Tigers improved their home record with the win. Kiwoom remained on the road for its next game.

Kiwoom is scheduled to play at Doosan on Friday, Sept. 18. Kia is set to play at NC on Saturday, Sept. 19. Kiwoom entered the game after a loss to Lotte and had dropped three of its previous four games. Kia entered after a win over Hanwha and had won four of its previous six games. The Tigers’ pitching staff has been strong in recent weeks, and the shutout continued that trend.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Kia Tigers 4, Kiwoom Heroes 2. Interstat’s ELO system had projected Kia with a 70.9 percent probability to win. Kia had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of -1.5. The total score of 2 went over the over/under line of 8.0.