*This content was translated by AI.
This season marks the first and only time a citizen baseball team has joined the Futures League: Ulsan Whales completed a miraculous big inning in the top of the 9th, writing a thrilling comeback drama against Lotte Giants.
In the 11th game of the Futures League Southern Division Season on the 10th at Sangdong Baseball Stadium in Gimhae, Ulsan Whales trailed 2-6 entering the top of the 9th inning. Led by Kim Seo-won's dramatic bases-loaded home run to tie the score, they scored six runs in total and secured an 8-7 comeback victory.
With this win, Ulsan Whales improved their season record to 54 wins, 36 losses, and 1 tie, extending their lead over the second-place team by 1.5 games and reducing the magic number for their first Southern Division title in franchise history to '6'.
Until the late innings, Lotte controlled the game completely. Ulsan's lineup faced the top of the 9th inning—the final offensive period of regulation—down 2-6. However, after leadoff batters Lee Min-seok and Park Moon-soon reached base via consecutive walks, pinch-hitter Ye Jin-won delivered a hit to left field, instantly creating a bases-loaded opportunity with no outs.
The savior was leadoff hitter Kim Seo-won. Stepping into the batter's box, Kim connected squarely with the first pitch from opposing pitcher Lee Seung-heon, launching a towering 125-meter bases-loaded home run to right field that cleared the fence, tying the game at 6-6 (his third of the season).
Ulsan's offensive momentum did not wane after instantly resetting the score to 6-6. With consecutive baserunners from subsequent batters creating another bases-loaded situation, Kim Si-wan and Park Moon-soon drew back-to-back bases-loaded walks, adding two more runs. In just the top of the 9th inning, Ulsan scored six runs total, completing an 8-6 comeback.
The pitching staff's dedication was equally impressive. Starting pitcher Nagata Taisei pitched 5⅓ innings, achieving the Futures League's first '100 strikeouts' milestone of this season. Relief pitchers Shim Jae-min (1 inning), Seo Young-jun (⅔ inning), and Choi Si-hyeok (1 inning) then shut down Lotte's lineup without allowing a run, laying the foundation for the 9th-inning comeback.
In the bottom of the 9th, 'Lotte alumnus' closer Kim Do-gyu took the mound. He allowed a solo home run to Yu Je-mo, narrowing the lead to just one run at 8-7, but calmly retired the following batters on routine outs to secure his 18th save of the season and seal the victory.
After the game, Kim Seo-won, who hit the tying bases-loaded home run, stated: "Since this was a crucial matchup against Lotte, who are competing for first place, I believed the next one or two weeks would be extremely important. I'm glad I could contribute to the team's win." He added, "I aggressively targeted the first pitch from the opposing pitcher in the opportunity created by earlier batters, which led to a great result. I will continue this momentum in remaining games and help the team secure more victories."
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*This content was translated by AI.
