Amid a news cycle dominated by one depressing sports story after another, this heartwarming act of sportsmanship is particularly uplifting.
The much-needed dose of humanity comes courtesy of Chelsea Oglevie and Leah Pemberton, two softball players at Florida Southern College, who carried a player from the opposing team around the bases after she hit a home run, then blew out her knee and became stranded on first base, crying and unable to walk.
The hitter, Kara Oberer of Eckerd College, would possibly have been ruled "out" had she received physical help from her team after she rounded the first base. Unfortunately for Oberer, that's right when the pain hit.
"As soon as she hit first base and her team couldn't help her anymore, she was just absolutely sobbing," Oglevie, the pitcher, told the Tampa Bay Times. "She literally couldn't put one foot in front of the other."
So Ogelvie and Pemberton each wrapped an arm around the injured player, carrying her to second base, then third, and all the way home -- gingerly lowering her to make contact with each base along the way.
ESPN notes that Oberer could technically have been replaced by another player and still gotten credit for the home run, but the players acted before the coaches and umps could even start to argue.
"I don't care who you are, you deserve to go around the bases and get your home run," Ogelvie told ESPN. "She deserved it. I threw a pitch that she hit hard, and she deserved it."
Oberer says the "life-changing" moment made her realize "there is still a greatness in humanity."
Eckerd's assistant coach Pat Affrunti added, "People were pretty much bawling."
WATCH the beautiful act of sportsmanship, above.