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More than the historic cycle hit, what filled Austin Dean's (33) mind was simply victory. The story behind his frantic sprint to third base in the bottom of the 10th extra inning, despite exhaustion, has now been revealed.
On the 25th at Seoul Jamsil Baseball Stadium, Austin Dean started as the third hitter and first baseman in LG's home game against NC Dinos in the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League regular season. He went 4-for-5 with one home run, three RBIs, and one run scored, leading LG to a 5-4 comeback victory.
The game MVP was undoubtedly Austin Dean, who recorded four hits. Luck favored him early. In the bottom of the fourth inning with one out and runners on second base, Dean pulled Curtis Taylor's inside pitch, creating a fast, high-bouncing grounder. NC shortstop Kim Ju-won reached for it, but the ball struck his glove and rolled far into the outfield, resulting in a double.
The highlight came in the bottom of the eighth inning with LG trailing 0-2, one out, and runners on first and third. After adding an infield single in the bottom of the sixth, Dean smashed pitcher Son Ju-hwan's slider over the left-field fence for a three-run home run that instantly turned the tide. It was his 33rd home run of the season.
The game did not end easily. LG allowed another run to tie the score, and in the top of the 10th extra inning, they surrendered one more point, falling behind 3-4. Then Austin Dean stepped up as the leadoff hitter in the bottom of the 10th. Facing Jeon Sa-min, he worked a full count before pulling a two-seam fastball toward the center-field fence. The ball struck the top of the wall and dropped just short of clearing it.
But Dean did not stop there. Although he had already completed four plate appearances in the game and was pushed into extra innings, he accelerated as soon as the ball hit the ground. He rounded second base and sprinted all the way to third.
At that moment, the 33rd cycle hit in KBO history was completed — and it was also Dean's first personal cycle hit. In LG franchise history, this marked only the fourth time a player achieved a cycle, following Seo Yong-bin (1994), Ahn Chi-yong (2008), and Lee Byung-kyu (2013). It was the first cycle ever recorded by a foreign player in the league.
Yet Dean himself remained unaware of his historic achievement. After the game, speaking with reporters, he said, "At that moment, I had no idea whether the ball would clear the fence. At some point, I thought the center fielder might catch it." He added, "The instant I saw the ball drop, I shifted into my last gear."
His reason for running to third base was not to complete a cycle hit. Dean explained, "I believed that if I reached third base, there would be at least two opportunities for me to score from there. So I did everything possible to get to third."
Victory came before records. Indeed, after Dean reached third base, LG created two scoring chances. Although they did not immediately convert them into runs, Hong Chang-gi eventually delivered the decisive hit, completing LG's 5-4 comeback win.
Dean emphasized, "Of course, I might have felt some frustration that earlier batters didn't produce the desired results, but in the end, it didn't matter much. Hong Chang-gi delivered for our team, and we won the game. That is what truly matters."
When asked which was more thrilling — the home run or the triple — Dean gave an unexpected answer. "Both were great, but if I had to choose one, it would be the triple," he said. "It happened late in the game, and if we hadn't scored in that situation, we could have lost. Hitting the triple created a scoring opportunity that ultimately led to victory, so it remains more memorable."
Even so, he made sure to look out for his teammate Anders Tolhurst (27). On this day, Tolhurst pitched six innings, allowing five hits and two walks while striking out two batters and giving up two earned runs. Despite his strong performance, the early struggles of LG's lineup prevented him from securing a win.
Dean said, "Of course, home runs always feel good. I was able to prevent Tolhurst from taking a loss." He continued, "I think Tolhurst pitched really well today (the 25th). Giving up two runs in the early innings probably wasn't what he wanted, but he recovered well afterward and held responsibility through the sixth inning. That part was truly crucial for our victory. In the end, both the home run and the triple had meaning, but most importantly, we were able to win today." He smiled broadly.
There was another interesting story behind it all. With Dean operating in MVP mode this season, he has come close to a cycle hit several times before. Each time, voices from the LG dugout would say, "Austin, let's try for a cycle hit."
This time was different. Dean remarked, "No one mentioned it today, so I didn't even realize what was happening. Perhaps because I wasn't thinking about records, they came naturally." He added with a smile, "It's not common for a first baseman to achieve a cycle hit. Naturally, I'm happy to have accomplished such a historic feat," yet he continued to emphasize victory until the very end.
Even at the moment his first career cycle hit was completed, Dean was not thinking about personal records. His sole focus was reaching one more base to create at least one additional scoring opportunity for his team. This is precisely why LG fans call him a "filial foreign investor" and a "lucky foreign investor." After pushing himself to the very last gear in that final sprint, Austin Dean secured both his first career cycle hit and a victory for his team.
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*This content was translated by AI.
