"Think of it as an opportunity."
Kia Tigers completed a winning series with a dramatic 4-point comeback. In the game against Kiwoom Heroes on 28th at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field, they unleashed a total of 17 hits to achieve a 13-7 victory. Although they seemed to lose momentum at 2-6, they triumphed by scoring 3 runs in the 5th inning and 5 runs in the 6th inning.
Third batter Oh Sun-woo hit a home run for the second consecutive day. Kim Do-young's classmate Yoon Do-hyun also hit a solo home run in the 5th inning to signal a comeback, and contributed a game-tying hit in the 6th inning that led to the dramatic turnaround.
Choi Hyung-woo recorded 2 hits, including a go-ahead sacrifice fly in the 6th inning. Kim Ho-ryeong also contributed with 2 hits and 3 RBIs, while Hwang Dae-in recorded 2 hits and 1 RBI. Kim Seok-hwan also made 2 hits including a double, and all batters showed active hitting.
Starting pitcher Yang Hyun-jong gave up 6 runs and was removed in the middle of the 5th inning. Following him, Seong Young-tak, Lee Jun-young, Yoon Jung-hyun, and Choi Ji-min displayed solid performances on the mound. Notably, Yoon Jung-hyun recorded 4 perfect outs to secure the win. Choi Ji-min also retired the side in the 8th inning with 8 pitches.
After the game, Manager Lee Bum-ho evaluated, "We were able to achieve a valuable victory by scoring immediately after giving up 4 runs in the top of the 5th inning."
He continued, "The bullpen stepped up. Every player who came in from Seong Young-tak to Kim Hyun-soo performed their roles well. Yoon Jung-hyun and Choi Ji-min's excellent pitching has been a tremendous asset on the mound."
Although Na Sung-bum, Kim Sun-bin, and Patrick Wisdom were absent, the new faces all showed active offense, which was a great relief. "In terms of offense, every batter performed well regardless of the top or bottom of the lineup. The players we currently have are truly first-team players. I hope they view this as an opportunity and perform like today," he requested.
Finally, he promised, "I thank the fans who have consistently supported us, and I pledge to do my best tomorrow as well."
[OSEN]