It was a big match for the top two teams. The sold-out crowd of 17,000 enjoyed a preview of the Korean Series.

The professional baseball teams Hanwha Eagles and LG Twins played to a 2-2 draw after 11 innings in the 9th match of the 2025 KBO League regular season at Hanwha Life Park in Daejeon on the 14th. LG maintained its first place, while second-place Hanwha stayed half a game behind LG.

Before the game, LG manager Youm Kyoung-youb said, "Both sides are all in. Everyone rested yesterday. It will be a battle of the starters anyway. Im Chan-kyu has performed better against Hanwha than other teams, and Ponce is the best pitcher in the league. If the starters hold up similarly, it will be a close contest in the later innings with one-run differences. Up to three runs, we will go all out with our winning team."

Both teams utilized all the position players on their first-team roster. LG used 14 players, while Hanwha used 15 players who all participated in the game. The strategic battles from both benches with substitutes and defensive replacements in the later innings were entertaining.

LG missed foreign player Austin due to minor injuries. Austin, discomforted in his side during practice right before the game, was replaced by Lee Young-bin immediately after the first inning began. This was because his injury occurred after the lineup had already been exchanged, so they could not change the starting lineup.

As predicted by manager Youm Kyoung-youb, the game unfolded accordingly. LG's starting pitcher Im Chan-kyu pitched six innings (89 pitches), allowing two hits, two walks, one hit by pitch, and striking out three without allowing any runs. He faced some crisis in the 1st and 2nd innings with shaky control but, true to being a "Hanwha killer," he effectively managed the troubles.

Hanwha's starting pitcher Ponce recorded six innings (103 pitches), allowing four hits, one hit by pitch, striking out ten, and allowing one run. The ten strikeouts were impressive. A wild pitch in the fifth inning with one out and a runner on second base was regrettable, as it allowed a runner to advance to third and resulted in a run scored on a sacrifice fly.

In the bottom of the seventh inning, Hanwha attacked LG's bullpen pitcher Jang Hyun-sik and turned the game around to lead 2-1. With one out and a runner on first, the pinch runner Lee Sang-hyuk successfully stole second, and Ahn Chi-hong tied the game at 1-1 with a double hitting the right field wall (monster wall). The chance continued with Choi Jae-hun's hit, putting runners on first and third with one out, and Hwang Young-mook's surprise bunt hit toward first base completed the turnaround to 2-1. In the continued chance with one out and runners on first and third, Lee Won-seok hit into a ground ball double play against the changed pitcher Kim Jin-sung.

Hanwha, leading 2-1 in the top of the eighth, had bullpen pitchers Han Seung-hyeok and Kim Beom-su come in one after the other, but faced a one-out bases loaded situation. Closer Kim Seo-hyeon was immediately brought in for the crisis. Kim Seo-hyeon allowed a sacrifice fly by Park Dong-won to tie the game at 2-2 but did not allow a lead.

LG also had its closer Yoo Young-chan come in early in the bottom of the eighth with one out and runners on first and second. He cleared the crisis with an infield pop-up and an infield ground ball. Kim Seo-hyeon and Yoo Young-chan both pitched until the ninth inning without allowing any runs, recording 1⅔ innings each.

In the bottom of the 10th inning of extra time, Kim Young-woo came in for LG and allowed a lead-off double to Lee Do-yoon after one out. Moon Hyun-bin was sent to first on an automatic intentional walk. LG then replaced the pitcher with Park Myeong-geun. Park Myeong-geun faced the clean-up hitter Roh Si-hwan with one out and runners on first and second, handling him with a ground ball double play to escape the last-minute crisis.

In the bottom of the 11th inning, Hanwha's lead-off hitter Kim Tae-yean reached base with a single to center. Lee Jin-young attempted a sacrifice bunt, but it went straight to the pitcher, resulting in a ground-ball double play between second and first.

After two outs, Ahn Chi-hong created a last chance with a double to the left field line. With two outs and a runner on second, Lee Jae-won hit a single to left, but it was a short hit and the runner on second was tagged out at home by the left fielder's throw.

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