The SK Wyverns defeated the host Nexen Heroes 6-4 in the first Korea Baseball Organization preseason game at the new Gocheok Sky Dome on Tuesday.
SK outfielder Kim Kang-min hit a grand slam for the first professional home run at the Seoul-based dome, as the Wyverns rallied from a 2-0 deficit to spoil the party for the Heroes.
The Heroes got off to a promising start. Park Dong-won drove in Nexen's first run with a single in the bottom second. And Yoon Suk-min's RBI double to right-center in the bottom third made it 2-0 for the Heroes.
Nexen's second-year starter Park Ju-hyun tossed three perfect innings with two strikeouts, but his bullpen failed him.
Ha Yeong-min took over the mound to start the fourth and wound up giving up five runs after two outs in the frame.
Jung Eui-yoon bounced an RBI single up the middle to put the Wyverns on the board. A single and a walk then loaded the bases for Kim Kang-min, who sent a 1-1 offering over the right field wall for the go-ahead slam that put the Wyverns up 5-2.
There have been home runs hit in high school games played here. But two exhibition games between South Korea and Cuba last November didn't produce any long balls.
Kim Kang-min drove in his fifth run of the game with a two-out single in the sixth and ended the day 2-for-4 at the plate with a couple of fine catches in center field.
The Heroes got a run back on Ko Jong-wook's sacrifice fly in the bottom eighth, and then made it 6-4 with Song Sung-mun's RBI single in the ninth.
The Heroes then put two men on with one out in the frame, only to see Lim Byeong-wuk go down looking and pinch hitter Kang Ji-kwang strike out swinging to end the rally.
For the Wyverns, starter Moon Kwang-eun was credited with the win after allowing two runs on five hits in four innings. Ha Yeong-min was tagged with the loss. (Yonhap)
