Justin Amlung pitched for X and McCombs threw for Ballard. Tigers put together a good 3rd inning with a few hits and scored three runs to go up 4-1. They tacked on another late in the game and went on to win 5-1. Amlung gave up a couple of good hits early, but settled in and finished strong. Coach John Jefferson and Tab Brown were both ejected from this game after two runners went into 2nd base out of the baseline and with spikes high. On two consecutive plays both of X's middle infielders were taken out. Both times the runners went in with atleast one foot two feet in the air with the spikes exposed. The coaches weren't arguing the taking out of the players at 2nd, but how it was done. They were arguing for the safety of their players.

 

Either way, it was a good, strong win for X.

I would point out that the umpire had NO problems with the first play (the one that caused both coaches to be ejected). It was a good, clean play.

I dont know as much about the first play, but I watched 2nd base the whole time during the next play. Cline caught the flip from Ferch went well out behind 2nd base and was still taken out. The kid running to 2nd base slid well outside the baseline and slid with his spikes high. It was a dirty play regardless. Plays like that get kids hurt and what was even more impressive is that Cline went completely airborne and still finished turning the double play.

 

The rule, as far as I understand it, has always been that you must go directly into the bag. I feel like the coaches had a valid point in general. Excluding those 2 plays, I still feel like it was a very poorly officiated for both sides.s

The kid was called out on the second one. The coaches were tossed for the first one - the one the umpires had no problem with.

Against Trinity, a Ballard player went in spikes high and took out Berry at 2B. The ump told Berry that the runner never touched him. You should have seen the umps face when Berry showed him the blood on his leg from the spikes after the inning!

Ballard may need to go back to techiques of sliding class 101?