SEOUL (Interstat) — Keston Hiura hit a go-ahead two-run homer in the fifth inning and Kim Jae-hyun added a solo shot late as the home Kiwoom Heroes beat the visiting Hanwha Eagles 5-3 on Wednesday in the evening at Gocheok Sky Dome. Kiwoom improved to 52-83-4, while Hanwha fell to 55-78-5. The Heroes finished with 10 hits to Hanwha’s seven and used a steady bullpen to protect the late lead. The game unfolded as a back-and-forth affair, with both teams trading home runs before Kiwoom pulled away in the middle and late innings.

Hanwha starter Jeong Woo-joo turned in a mixed outing, pitching four innings and allowing five hits, two earned runs and two walks while striking out six. Kiwoom starter Kim Seong-jin lasted five innings, yielding six hits, three earned runs and one walk with two strikeouts. Jeong kept Kiwoom off the board in the first and second, working around a Choo Jae-hyun single and a stolen base in the first and a pair of walks in the second. Kim Seong-jin also escaped early trouble, leaving Hanwha runners stranded after Lee Do-yun and Moon Hyun-bin singled in the first and Roh Si-hwan walked in the second.

Kiwoom opened the scoring when Matthew Davidson homered to center field. Hanwha answered with back-to-back home runs from Kang Baek-ho and Roh Si-hwan, turning a one-run deficit into a 2-1 lead. Kang finished 2 for 4 with one home run and one RBI, while Roh’s blast gave Hanwha a brief advantage. Kiwoom responded when Park Chan-hyeok homered to left field, tying the game at 2-2. The sequence highlighted the power at the top of both lineups and set up the decisive middle innings.

Hanwha reclaimed the lead in the fifth. Choi In-ho singled to center field, and Lee Do-yun followed with a double to right field that scored Choi. That made it 3-2 Hanwha. But Kim Seong-jin limited the damage by retiring Moon Hyun-bin on a groundout to first, keeping the deficit at one. In the bottom of the fifth, Davidson singled to right field, and Hiura launched a two-run homer to left field, putting Kiwoom ahead 4-3. Davidson finished 2 for 3 with one home run and one RBI, while Hiura went 1 for 4 with one home run and two RBIs. The Hiura blast proved to be the most important swing of the night, giving the Heroes a lead they would not relinquish.

Kiwoom added insurance late when Kim Jae-hyun homered to left field. Kim, who entered as a catcher, went 1 for 1 with one home run and one RBI. The Heroes then worked through the rest of the inning with a walk to Park Chan-hyeok and a walk to Yum Seung-won before Gwon Hyuk-bin singled to center field. Choo Jae-hyun fouled out to third to end the threat, but the damage had been done. Hanwha’s bullpen kept the game within reach, but the Eagles could not mount a rally in the final innings.

Hanwha’s relief corps delivered scoreless work in its appearances. Kim Jong-soo pitched one inning with no hits and no earned runs. Kang Jae-min followed with one inning, allowing one hit and no earned runs while striking out one. Their outings helped keep the game within reach, but Hanwha’s offense managed only seven hits overall. Kiwoom’s bullpen was equally effective. Park Jeong-hun pitched one inning, giving up one hit and no earned runs. Cho Young-gun tossed a scoreless inning with no hits and one strikeout. Those outings helped close the door after Kim Seong-jin’s five-inning start.

The loss continued a difficult stretch for Hanwha, which has struggled to string together wins. Hanwha’s record now stands at 55-78-5. Kiwoom, meanwhile, moved to 52-83-4. The Heroes have had the upper hand in the recent head-to-head series, though the teams had split several high-scoring meetings earlier in the season. Hanwha’s most recent victory over Kiwoom came before this game, but the Eagles could not carry that momentum into the evening. Hanwha is scheduled to host the NC Dinos in its next game.

Kiwoom’s offense was balanced behind Davidson and Hiura, with Kim Jae-hyun providing a late spark off the bench. Hanwha’s Kang Baek-ho remained productive with two hits and a home run, and Lee Do-yun’s double drove in a run. Moon Hyun-bin also had a hit and reached base twice, while Choi In-ho singled and scored. Hanwha finished with seven hits, while Kiwoom had 10. The extra hits helped the Heroes stay close early and then take control. Defensively, both teams turned key double plays, including Hanwha’s double play in the first and Kiwoom’s double play in the sixth. Those plays helped keep the scoring in check during a game that featured five home runs.

The evening at Gocheok Sky Dome began with a scoreless first and second. Kiwoom threatened in the second after Yeo Dong-uk walked and Yum Seung-won doubled to right side, but Hanwha’s Jeong Woo-joo struck out Choo Jae-hyun to end the inning. Hanwha put runners on in the first and second but could not convert. The early missed chances loomed large once the game turned into a home-run battle. Kiwoom’s ability to answer each Hanwha rally proved decisive, especially after Hanwha took a 3-2 lead in the fifth.

Kim Seong-jin earned the win after completing five innings, while Jeong Woo-joo did not factor into the decision. Hanwha’s Kim Jong-soo and Kang Jae-min combined for two scoreless innings of relief. Kiwoom’s Park Jeong-hun and Cho Young-gun added two more scoreless innings. Hanwha’s bullpen kept the game close, but the offense could not solve Kiwoom’s late arms. The Heroes’ 10 hits included home runs from Davidson, Hiura and Kim Jae-hyun. Hanwha’s seven hits included homers from Kang Baek-ho and Roh Si-hwan.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Hanwha Eagles 7, Kiwoom Heroes 6, and Interstat’s ELO system gave Hanwha a 60.1 percent probability to win. The actual result went the other way, as Kiwoom’s late power and bullpen work produced a 5-3 victory. The Heroes will look to build on the win, while Hanwha will try to regroup before its next home game against NC Dinos.