The 19th District championship featured one of the strangest endings I've ever seen.

 

Nelson Co. held a 7-4 lead in the top of the seventh. Bardstown loads the bases with one out, then consecutive base hits plate a pair of runs.

 

Next batter up swings at strike three in the dirt. He breaks for first, and runner on third breaks for home, but the catcher recovered the ball quickly and ran up the line to tag the lead runner.

 

After that, all hell broke loose. NC players I suppose thought the tag made it three outs, and some start celebrating and coming out of the dugout. The umpires seemed to lose track as well, as they start walking off the field. Finally it occurs to everybody that there's only two outs. The Bardstown coaches are telling the runner on first to go to an open second, but the batter who struck out was apparently also confused, and went back toward the dugout, and was called out for vacating his base, ending the game.

 

Perhaps lost in all the hullaballoo at the end was the fact that Bardstown almost won the district crown (after going 1-17 in regular season), which would have been one of the most unlikely things I've ever seen in sports. And they did it with basically a roster full of middle-schoolers. The Tigers have two juniors and one senior, but two of those three have been injured a good part of the year, and the other splits time with the track team.

That is a wild finish. What a storybook district title that would have been for Bardstown had they been able to pull off a district title after going 1-17 on the season. They have to feel better about going to region now with a win and nearly a district title.

 

I have only seen a runner called out for vacating his base for the dugout one time, ... and that one was the coaches fault. The runner was called safe at first, the coach at first (who obviously wasn't paying attention) sent him back to the dugout across the field. The plate umpire asked the umpire who made the call at 1st to confirm that the runner was safe. He said yes, then the plate umpire called him out just as the player reached the dugout.

Wow. Was there an outcry from Bardstown? Possibly that since everyone else was leaving their position that the runner should be "forgiven" and sent to first. I know this wouldn't be correct by the rulebook, but I was wondering if Bardstown argued this?

Wow. Was there an outcry from Bardstown? Possibly that since everyone else was leaving their position that the runner should be "forgiven" and sent to first. I know this wouldn't be correct by the rulebook, but I was wondering if Bardstown argued this?

 

The umps got the heck out of dodge before there was an opportunity. Bardstown fans were howling, but there was no one left to howl at.

 

The call was correct, but the umpiring crew handled the whole scene very poorly.

The umps got the heck out of dodge before there was an opportunity. Bardstown fans were howling, but there was no one left to howl at.

 

The call was correct, but the umpiring crew handled the whole scene very poorly.

 

 

I want to see if I'm missing something here. If the bases were loaded with only one out and the batter struck out he would have had no right to first base since it was already occupied at the time of the pitch so it wouldn't have mattered if he'd have went to the dugout--he was already out. The runner on third that broke for home and was tagged out would have been the 3rd out and the game would have been over at that point no matter what the other runners did.

 

If first base was occupied at the time of the strikeout, which was only the 2nd out, it doesn't matter if the runner goes to the dugout, first or the parking lot he was out when he swung and missed.

I want to see if I'm missing something here. If the bases were loaded with only one out and the batter struck out he would have had no right to first base since it was already occupied at the time of the pitch so it wouldn't have mattered if he'd have went to the dugout--he was already out. The runner on third that broke for home and was tagged out would have been the 3rd out and the game would have been over at that point no matter what the other runners did.

 

If first base was occupied at the time of the strikeout, which was only the 2nd out, it doesn't matter if the runner goes to the dugout, first or the parking lot he was out when he swung and missed.

 

Yeah, now that I think about it, the umps did blow it by not immediately calling the batter out. In a way, the first-base ump ended up cleaning up the home-plate ump's mess by making an incorrect, but right, call.

Yeah, now that I think about it, the umps did blow it by not immediately calling the batter out. In a way, the first-base ump ended up cleaning up the home-plate ump's mess by making an incorrect, but right, call.

 

 

Yep, they might not have handled it correctly but at least Bardstown didn't lose on a call they should have won on. The strikeout was out number 2 and the runner on 3rd was out 3. After that they really have no argument. Unless it was a really close play at home the fault really lies with the base coaches who should have known the rules and had the runners hold. The Bardstown staff should shoulder the majority of the blame. The players might be young but the staff should know their rules--that's an elementary one.

Yep, they might not have handled it correctly but at least Bardstown didn't lose on a call they should have won on. The strikeout was out number 2 and the runner on 3rd was out 3. After that they really have no argument. Unless it was a really close play at home the fault really lies with the base coaches who should have known the rules and had the runners hold. The Bardstown staff should shoulder the majority of the blame. The players might be young but the staff should know their rules--that's an elementary one.

 

He's a first-year coach, so he's learning right along with the young'uns. He admitted he dropped the ball by sending the runner from third.

He's a first-year coach, so he's learning right along with the young'uns. He admitted he dropped the ball by sending the runner from third.

 

I understand that but if he's competent enough to coach he should know the rules. There's no excuse for a baseball coach not knowing an elementary rule like that. Everyone learns that the first year on 90 foot bases. Tough lesson but NO EXCUSE. He's still the coach, he should have been screaming for the runners to stay. That's not a complicated rule.

I understand that but if he's competent enough to coach he should know the rules. There's no excuse for a baseball coach not knowing an elementary rule like that. Everyone learns that the first year on 90 foot bases. Tough lesson but NO EXCUSE. He's still the coach, he should have been screaming for the runners to stay. That's not a complicated rule.

 

I see what you're saying, but I'm willing to give him a pass. Heck, look at their results from this season -- haven't been many games close in the final inning. And it wasn't necessarily that he didn't know the rule, per se. He just thought the ball skipped farther away from the catcher than what it actually did.

I see what you're saying, but I'm willing to give him a pass. Heck, look at their results from this season -- haven't been many games close in the final inning. And it wasn't necessarily that he didn't know the rule, per se. He just thought the ball skipped farther away from the catcher than what it actually did.

 

If that's the case I totally understand that, scoring on the loose ball might have been the best option with a young team. There just shouldn't have been any hullaballo from the fans or the staff after the game.

I see what you're saying, but I'm willing to give him a pass. Heck, look at their results from this season -- haven't been many games close in the final inning. And it wasn't necessarily that he didn't know the rule, per se. He just thought the ball skipped farther away from the catcher than what it actually did.

 

I agree. I am sure that the excitement of the situation may have gotten to everyone, .. coaches, players and umps alike. Bardstown still has to be excited to reach the regional tourney after only winning 1 game during the regular season.

Wow what a crazy ending to the game.

Bardstown coach is a class act and does know the game. I was not there so I can not speak to the circumstances. The 19th district is on the rise and have four good coaches and improving teams.