[Ruwisc]

This is a pretty amazing comeback on its own, but the circumstances make it legendary:

This is from my totally fictional promotion/relegation universe. The Northern Premier League represents the northern half of the country in the third tier of the system, with the corresponding Southern Premier League for the southern half. The NPL has 20 teams and plays a 190-game schedule, so you might notice that this was the last game of the season. The top two teams are promoted to the second tier, and the bottom four teams are relegated to the fourth tier.

Sutineli came in to the final day tied for 16th place with Latco - that means, of the two tied teams, one would be relegated and the other would survive. Lidini had nothing to play for but pride, because they (the 18th-placed team) had clinched their own relegation the day before. At the start of the day, Latco owned the tiebreaker over Sutineli by virtue of having the better run differential, so the stakes were clear: Sutineli needed to win, and have Latco lose, in order to not be relegated. Either a loss or a Latco win would send them to a fourth-tier fate. Thankfully, Latco's assignment was tougher - they were on the road, facing Wotclad, the #1 team in the league.

Cue this incredible finish. Lidini built their huge lead on the strength of the six-run sixth, where after a leadoff home run and a one-out walk, six consecutive singles produced five more runs and an 8-1 lead. (Meanwhile, Latco's game was still scoreless, and going to extra innings.)

We get to the bottom of the ninth and it's 10-2. To reach the last half-inning of the season, needing eight runs and some help elsewhere to maintain your spot in the league... well, you probably don't have much hope at that point.

Parolirao, the third baseman hitting seventh, leads us off with a double down the left-field line. And while you still need a lot more than that, that's sometimes enough to create a spark. After a groundout failed to advance the runner, a pinch-hit single drove him in. 10-3. The team followed with another single (10-4), a walk, a single, a bases-loaded walk (10-5), a single (10-7), and a double (10-9). At this point, Parolirao returns to the batter's box with a chance to walk off - and strikes out. Two gone. At this point, out of relief pitchers due to injury, Lidini turns to their backup corner infielder to try to finish things off, as they had done a few times during the season (to very poor results, mind you). After an intentional walk (now runners at 1st and 2nd), the former pitcher's spot comes around once again, and the same pinch-hitter sneaks a 1-0 pitch through the left side for a game-tying single. 10-10.

At this point, the home Sutineli fans have to actually start scoreboard-watching again; the Latco game has reached the 13th inning, and they're still scoreless. But after all that, Latco is threatening - they have men on first and second, with only one out.

The next batter was the leadoff hitter, Fesemu. The 21-year-old right fielder was 2-5 for the game, including an RBI single earlier in the inning that had made it 10-4. And despite not being much of a power hitter (to that point, only 7 HR in over 600 ABs), he took a 2-1 pitch and blasted it 437 feet to dead center for a walk-off winner.

At almost the exact same time, the Latco first baseman grounds into a double play, ending their threat and sending that game to the bottom of the 13th.

At this point, everyone is still in their seats. The Sutineli players have not yet left the field, everyone staying to watch the only other game still in progress. Latco 0, Wotclad 0, bottom of the 13th. The fans watch as Wotclad's star shortstop takes the first two pitches for strikes, but then somehow manages to work a walk. They shrug their shoulders as the next batter, Wotclad's best player, can't quite sneak the ball through the right side and grounds out 3-1 - still enough to advance the runner. They boo the screen as the next batter, already 4 for 5 for the day, is intentionally walked to set up the double play. Up comes the backup catcher, who entered the game in the 10th after the starting catcher had been ejected. The man with a .216 batting average and a negative WAR strokes the ball to left on 2-0 to score the runner from second, and Sutineli is saved.