Austin Dean Shines with Multi-Homer Game: How LG Twins Overcame Kiwoom Heroes in a Thrilling Comeback

Austin Dean / Photo=DB

[Sports Today reporter Kang Tae-gu] The LG Twins staged a dramatic comeback to beat the Kiwoom Heroes.

LG defeated Kiwoom 6-4 on April 4 at Gocheok Sky Dome in a 2026 Shinhan SOL Bank KBO League road game.

The victory moved LG to 3-4 on the season, while Kiwoom fell to 2-5 after dropping the chance to extend their streak.

LG starter Lim Chan-kyu worked five innings, allowing nine hits, striking out three, walking one and yielding four runs (three earned). He was not credited with the decision.

At the plate, Austin Dean delivered a one-man offensive show, collecting four hits including multiple home runs to carry the Twins to victory.

Kiwoom starter Ha Young-min pitched well, tossing five innings with four hits (one homer), four strikeouts, five walks and one run, but he left without a win.

Kiwoom grabbed the early edge. In the bottom of the second, with Oh Jun-seo aboard after a hit and no outs at first, Kim Keon Hee ripped an RBI double and Park Ju-hong followed with an RBI double to make it 2-0.

LG squandered early opportunities. In the top of the first, after two outs Dean and Moon Bo-kyung drew walks, but Park Dong-won popped out to center.

In the second, after two outs Oh Ji-hwan walked, Park Hae-min doubled and Hong Chang-ki drew a walk, yet Shin Min-jae grounded to second and the inning ended without a run.

Kiwoom extended the lead in the third. Consecutive hits by Choi Joo-hwan and Park Chan-hyuk set the stage, and Oh Jun-seo reached on a fielder’s error at second to load the bases with no outs. Kim Keon Hee followed with a sacrifice fly to center, and Park Ju-hong added an RBI grounder to first to push the score to 4-0.

LG broke through with the long ball in the fifth. With one out and no one on, Dean took Ha Young-min’s sixth pitch—a 134 km/h forkball—and drove a solo homer over the left fielder’s head.

The dormant offense erupted in the eighth, turning the game around. In the top of the eighth, Dean opened with a single to center and Moon Bo-kyung was hit by a pitch to put runners on first and second with no outs. A double play by Park Dong-won erased both lead runners, but Moon Seong-ju and Cheon Seong-ho each drew walks to reload the bases.

With two outs and the bases loaded, Lee Jae-won drew a bases-loaded walk to cut the deficit. Park Hae-min then delivered a two-RBI single, and Hong Chang-ki followed with an RBI infield hit to give LG a 5-4 lead.

LG put the game away in the ninth. In the top of the ninth, leadoff man Dean struck again, launching his second homer of the game—a solo shot—to make it 6-4.

Holding the lead, LG turned to Yu Young-chan to close the ninth. Yu retired the side in order to seal the victory.

[Sports Today reporter Kang Tae-gu sports@stoo.com]
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