I thought, "If I can't hit today, I'll be sent to the second team."

It seems that baseball, like life, can get tangled up when you are greedy, but flows smoothly when you clear your mind. KIA Tigers power hitter Hwang Dae-in led the winning series with a decisive performance. He hit a home run in pursuit against the best pitcher in the KBO League. He didn’t stop there and also recorded the tying hit.

On the 8th, at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field, he participated in the 2025 professional baseball game against the Hanwha Eagles, recording 2 hits and 3 RBIs, leading to a 7-6 victory. The team won by a one-point margin for three consecutive days and secured back-to-back winning series after a grueling battle that went into extra innings for two consecutive days. The team's record stands at 31 wins, 30 losses, and 1 tie.

He had been held hitless for four consecutive games and was even left out of the starting lineup. During the game, a variable arose. Left fielder Kim Seok-hwan injured his shoulder after colliding with the fence while catching a ball. The examination showed it was a simple sprain. He immediately left the field and unexpectedly entered as the first baseman, shifting from left fielder Oh Seon-woo. However, this became a brilliant move.

In the bottom of the fourth inning, trailing 2-5 with one out, he hit a 154 km fastball from Hanwha ace Cody Ponce, smashing a solo home run to left field that traveled 120 meters. It was his first home run of the season after 636 days. In the bottom of the sixth inning, with one out and runners on first and third, he hit a double to left-center off a forkball from Park Sang-won, tying the game.

Hwang Dae-in's performance led to a close contest. Although they gave up a 5-6 lead in the top of the eighth inning, they tied the game again in the bottom of the eighth. In the bottom of the tenth inning during extra innings, with one out and runners on first and second, he took advantage of a bad throw to second base by Hanwha's third baseman Roh Si-hwan after catching a ball from Ko Jong-wook, scoring the game-winning run and achieving a 7-6 victory. Hwang Dae-in's 3 RBIs laid the crucial foundation.

Hwang Dae-in said, "I was really nervous going out suddenly. I was advised to look for fastballs when analyzing Ponce's pitches because he has great control. I saw at least one fastball. I just thought of hitting it in front of me. Honestly, I was very lucky. Ponce's pitches were excellent. The curve had a significant angle, and the fastball was also good. I understood why I couldn't hit."

He continued, "It felt great to hit a home run after two years. I don't hit long balls just because I want to. I just think that if I hit accurately on the spot, the long ball may come out. I need to keep practicing consistently. (Regarding the 2-run double that tied the game) I was only targeting one type of pitch to avoid a double play, and luckily, it came in."

Until the previous day, he had gone hitless in 12 at-bats over four games. He was promoted to the first team on May 25 and had been active with three consecutive RBIs, but he could not maintain the momentum. The pitchers in the first team league were not easy to face. He felt the risk of being sent down to the second team, but thanks to his decisive performance that day, he was able to continue his opportunity. His wife and child who visited the baseball park also enjoyed the game. The support of his family was significant.

Before today’s game, I thought, "If I can't hit, I might go back to the second team again." I let that thought go, and that helped me. The long stint in the second team was hard, especially for my family, who couldn't show their hardships. It even appeared in my dreams. Since my child was born, even if it's tough, I feel happy when I go home, and my mental state has improved. I want to continue showing this kind of performance, but it’s not easy. Still, I will train so I can be considered a reliable hitter in scoring situations."

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