Hanwha Eagles’ Thrilling Comeback: How They Defeated KIA Tigers 7-5 in 2026 KBO Preseason

Kim Tae-yeon / Photo: DB

[Sports Today reporter Shin Seo-young] The Hanwha Eagles pulled off a thrilling walk-off win.

Hanwha defeated the KIA Tigers 7-5 in a 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League exhibition at Daejeon Hanwha Life Park on March 19.

The victory snapped Hanwha’s losing streak and moved them to 3-4 in the exhibition slate. KIA dropped to 2-1-4 after suffering a third straight loss.

Hanwha starter White worked five innings, allowing four hits (one home run), one walk and one run while striking out six. Jeong Woo-joo, summoned as the closer, threw one inning, gave up one hit (one homer), struck out one and took the win despite allowing one run.

Hanwha’s lineup came alive, with Kim Tae-yeon, Heo In-seo and Shim Woo-jun combining for three home runs. Kim finished the night with a walk-off two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth to seal the win.

KIA’s starter Lee Tae-yang tossed two scoreless innings, issuing one walk and recording one strikeout. Reliever Jeon Sang-hyun surrendered three hits (including two homers) and three runs in 0.1 innings, taking the loss.

Offensively for KIA, Park Min homered in back-to-back at-bats and Kim Tae-gun added a solo shot, but their efforts weren’t enough in the end.

Hanwha opened the scoring in the bottom of the third. Leadoff man Heo In-seo reached on a hit-by-pitch from reliever Kim Hyun-soo, and Shim Woo-jun followed with an RBI double to left, putting runners on second and third with no outs. Oh Jae-won popped out to left, but a wild pitch during Peraza’s plate appearance allowed Heo to score and give Hanwha a 1-0 lead. Peraza then drew a walk to keep the inning going, and Moon Hyun-bin delivered a two-run single to center to extend the lead to 3-0.

KIA answered with the long ball. In the top of the fifth, Kim Tae-gun took White’s third pitch—a 121 km/h curve—and launched a solo homer over the left-field wall. KIA built momentum and tied the game at 3-3 in the sixth when Yoon Do-hyun delivered an RBI single with two outs and runners at second and third.

Riding that momentum, KIA took the lead in the seventh. Leadoff hitter Park Min hammered Lee Sang-gyu’s second pitch, a 136 km/h cutter, for a go-ahead solo shot that traveled an estimated 125 meters to center.

Hanwha struck back in the bottom of the seventh. After Heo struck out to open the inning, Shim Woo-jun ambushed reliever Hong Geon-hee’s first pitch—a 130 km/h slider—and launched a solo homer to left to knot the game at 4-4.

KIA regained the lead in the ninth. With no one on base, Park Min battled Jeong Woo-joo to a full count before sending a solo homer over the left-field wall, giving KIA a 5-4 advantage.

But KIA couldn’t hold on. In the bottom of the ninth, Heo In-seo tied the game with a solo home run off Jeon Sang-hyun. After Choi Yoo-bin grounded out, Oh Jae-won ripped an RBI single to put a runner on first with one out. Kim Tae-yeon then jumped on a 141 km/h fastball from Jeon and delivered a walk-off two-run homer to end the game, 7-5.

[Sports Today reporter Shin Seo-young sports@stoo.com]
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