The Daejeon Hanwha Life Insurance Ballpark was the scene of a wild, marathon clash on April 1, 2026, as the Hanwha Eagles and KT Wiz delivered a game for the ages in the KBO League. With both teams trading blows and momentum swinging back and forth, it was KT Wiz who ultimately emerged victorious, notching a dramatic 14-11 win over the Eagles in a contest that lasted more than four hours and kept fans on the edge of their seats until the final out.
From the very first inning, it was clear this was no ordinary ballgame. The starting pitchers—Hanwha’s veteran ace Ryu Hyun-jin and KT’s reliable Ko Young-pyo—each brought their best stuff, but neither would factor into the decision on this night. Ryu, a World Baseball Classic participant and one of the most respected arms in the league, threw five innings with three hits allowed, four strikeouts, and two runs (one earned). Ko matched him inning for inning, giving up seven hits and two walks, striking out seven, and surrendering four runs (three earned) before handing things over to the bullpen.
Early offense set the tone, with KT’s Ahn Hyun-min launching his first home run of the season in the top of the first, only to see Hanwha’s Moon Hyun-bin respond with a two-run blast in the bottom half. The Eagles led 2-1 after one, but as the night wore on, the real fireworks were yet to come.
KT fell behind 2-4 by the seventh inning, but their bats came alive in a furious rally. Four runs in the top of the seventh flipped the script, giving KT a 6-4 lead. Hanwha chipped away with a run in their half, but KT seemed to blow the game open in the eighth, plating five more runs to go up 11-5. At that point, it looked like the Wiz were cruising to a comfortable victory. Or were they?
The Eagles, refusing to go quietly, mounted a stunning comeback in their half of the eighth. Six runs crossed the plate, highlighted by a thunderous three-run homer from Shim Woo-jun—his second of the young season—that tied the game at 11 and reignited the home crowd. The ballpark, packed with hopeful Hanwha fans, erupted as their team clawed all the way back from the brink. The Eagles nearly grabbed the lead, loading the bases with two outs, but KT’s closer Park Young-hyun managed to induce a crucial foul fly from Moon Hyun-bin to end the inning.
“It was a game where the flow could have easily slipped away from us in the late innings,” KT manager Lee Kang-chul told reporters after the game. “But our players never gave up and stayed focused until the end. Our starter Ko Young-pyo did his job, and Kim Min-su finished the game well.”
With the score knotted at 11, the ninth inning brought even more drama. Hanwha called on their ninth pitcher of the night, Kim Do-bin, a remarkable story in his own right. Kim, who joined the Eagles as a development player after going undrafted and working his way up through the independent leagues, had already impressed during the opening series with clutch performances in high-pressure situations. This game marked his fourth straight appearance since the season opener—a testament to both his resilience and the trust the coaching staff has placed in him.
Kim Do-bin’s journey to the KBO first team has been anything but ordinary. After stints at Sungji High School, Gangneung Yeongdong University, and the Suwon Fineigs independent club, he joined Hanwha in 2024 and finally made the opening day roster in 2026. Reflecting on his path, Kim shared, “When I heard I made the opening roster, I shouted for joy inside my heart. I just try to keep things simple—'just do it,' as I remind myself with phrases written inside my cap.” He credits his changeup as his main weapon and is grateful for the encouragement from his coaches: “They told me to pitch the way I always do. That gave me a lot of confidence.”
But on this night, the baseball gods were not on Kim Do-bin’s side. He started the top of the ninth by getting KT’s Kim Sang-soo to ground out, but then struggled with his command, issuing consecutive walks. KT, sensing opportunity, sent pinch-hitter Bae Jung-dae to the plate, but the gamble didn’t pay off as he failed to deliver. Still, Choi Won-jun drew another walk, loading the bases with two outs and setting the stage for Kim Hyun-soo.
Kim Hyun-soo, already having a big night, came through in the clutch, ripping a bases-clearing double down the right-field line to give KT a 14-11 lead. The KT dugout erupted, and the momentum had swung decisively one last time. Kim finished the night with three hits and four RBIs, while Choi Won-jun contributed three hits and five RBIs of his own. Oh Yun-seok, filling in for the injured Heo Kyung-min, also tallied three hits, further showcasing KT’s depth and resilience.
Hanwha had one last chance in the bottom of the ninth, facing KT reliever Kim Min-su. The heart of the order came up, but the rally fizzled as Noh Si-hwan and Kang Baek-ho struck out in succession. Chae Eun-seong reached after being hit by a pitch, but Ha Joo-seok went down swinging to end the epic contest. Kim Min-su notched his first save of the season, while Park Young-hyun, who navigated a bases-loaded jam in the eighth, picked up his first win and second save.
Both teams combined for an eye-popping 28 hits—14 apiece—and used a total of 17 pitchers. The Eagles’ bullpen, heavily reworked in the offseason, saw Kim Do-bin take the loss in a valiant but ultimately unsuccessful effort. “If you think of it as an opportunity, you can get greedy and tense,” Kim Do-bin has said about his mindset. “I just try to focus on being grateful for the situation and doing my best.”
This loss drops Hanwha to a tough defeat, but their fighting spirit and Kim Do-bin’s emergence as a bullpen asset offer hope for the long road ahead. Meanwhile, KT Wiz’s victory extends their perfect start to the season—four wins in a row—and cements their status as early contenders in the KBO League. As April baseball continues, both clubs will be looking to build on the lessons of this unforgettable night in Daejeon.