Seoul:<Text>
Teen rookie Ko Jun-hwi launched his first career home run and ace Koo Chang-mo tossed six solid innings, as the NC Dinos pounded the Kiwoom Heroes 12-2 on Thursday to snap their two-game losing streak.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Ko, an 18-year-old outfielder playing in just his fourth game and his first start in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO), batted 2-for-4 with four RBIs to lead the rout at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul. A fourth-round pick at last year's draft, Ko also had his first career steal in this game. The Dinos scored in double figures for the first time this year as they improved to 9-12-0 (wins-losses-ties). The Heroes, a day after climbing out of the cellar, fell back to last place at 7-15-0, while making three errors in the loss.
After managing just one run in their past two games, the Dinos doubled that output in the top of the first inning Thursday. With a runner at second following a walk and a groundout, Park Min-woo drove in the game's first run with a ringing double off starter Kim Yeon-ju that struck the left field wall. Park then stole third and scored the second run when shortstop Choi Jae-young bounced a throw to first after fielding what would have been an inning-ending grounder by Lee Woo-sung.
The Dinos pulled further ahead in the four-run third. Seo Ho-cheol pushed the lead to 4-0 in the top third with his two-run, bases-loaded single and knocked Kim Yeon-ju out of the game. With reliever Won Jong-hyan on the mound, Ko smacked a single up the middle to cash in two more runs -- for his first career hit and RBIs.
The Heroes made it a 6-1 game in the bottom fifth against Koo, as Trenton Brooks led off with a double and came around to score on consecutive groundouts. But the Dinos pulled further ahead in the top sixth by taking advantage of some sloppy Heroes defense. With a runner at second, new Heroes shortstop Song Ji-hoo, who replaced Choi in the third inning, nearly airmailed his throw to first on a Matt Davidson groundball, and put men at first and second. Seo then bunted back toward the mound, but Won let the ball bounce through his wickets for the Heroes' second error of the inning.
Bases now loaded, Kim Hyung-jun slapped a single to center for two additional runs and chased Won from the mound. Two batters later, Kim Ju-won delivered an RBI single against new pitcher Lee Jun-woo for a 9-1 lead.
Ko then capped his memorable night in the seventh with a two-run blast to right field that made it an 11-1 game. Ko crushed a 2-2 slider from Jhun Jun-pyo and sent it 120 meters into the seats in right field. Im Ji-yeol's solo shot in the bottom eighth salvaged an inconsequential run for the Heroes, before Shin Jae-in restored a 10-run lead for the Dinos with an RBI double in the top ninth.
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