Riverheads picked up a 3-0 home win over Stonewall Jackson tonight in a game that really wasn't all that interesting until three different controversial calls in the latter stages got fans and coaches from both sides up in arms, and led to a little more shouting than usual from behind the fences.
Neither team had an especially productive night at the plate as they only combined for something like 11 or 12 hits. Colt Miller went the distance for RHS and remained unbeaten on the season. The Big Red scratched out single runs in the 3rd, 4th and 6th (I think) to pull out the victory.
As for the controversies, the first and biggest one occurred in the bottom of the fifth inning. The Gladiators were leading 2-0, had the bases loaded with one out, and appeared poised to possibly have a big inning and put the game away. A sharp grounder was hit to the shortstop, and he and the base runner who had been on second made contact as he was trying to field the ball.
It all happened pretty fast and I didn't see it clearly enough to know who was at fault, if anyone, but the shortstop recovered in time to throw the batter out at first. Meanwhile, a third Gladiator run appeared to cross the plate and it looked as if we were going to proceed with runners on second and third and two out.
However, the SJ skipper came out on the field, protesting that RHS had interfered with the shortstop's attempt to field the ball. That led to a series of about four different discussions....first between the umpires alone, then the umpires and one coach, then the umps and the other coach, then the umps again. Finally after about a 10-15 minute delay, the base-runner was ruled out and the official verdict was an inning-ending double play, leaving RHS with just a 2-0 lead. Some of the more knowledgeable fans in the RHS stands said the call was correct and that in that situation the runner is automatically out, no matter who initiates the contact or how accidental it might have been.
So we moved on to the Stonewall half of the sixth where more fireworks erupted. There were two nearly identical plays in which the RHS first baseman stretched his hamstring about as far as it would take him to field a less-than-perfect throw from one of his teammates. In each case, the base umpire had to rule whether he was pulled off the bag.
On the first of those occasions, the batter was ruled safe, much to the dismay of most of the RHS fans who had a pretty clear view of the play. So at that point, Stonewall was cruising along at 2 for 2 on close plays. But on the second throw over to first, which looked as close if not closer than the first one, the ump ruled him out, which was a good thing for the Big Red.......a safe call on that play would have given SJ a run and closed the gap to 2-1.
Instead the Gladiators scored an insurance run in their half of the inning, capped off their third straight home shut-out, and in all likelihood put this one in the "it wasn't pretty but a win is a win" file. Everybody has some of those during a season.
The Big Red hosts Stuarts Draft Friday and East Rock in a make-up game Monday as the season winds down. They still appear to have a good shot at the number two seed in the Conference 36 playoffs.
Neither team had an especially productive night at the plate as they only combined for something like 11 or 12 hits. Colt Miller went the distance for RHS and remained unbeaten on the season. The Big Red scratched out single runs in the 3rd, 4th and 6th (I think) to pull out the victory.
As for the controversies, the first and biggest one occurred in the bottom of the fifth inning. The Gladiators were leading 2-0, had the bases loaded with one out, and appeared poised to possibly have a big inning and put the game away. A sharp grounder was hit to the shortstop, and he and the base runner who had been on second made contact as he was trying to field the ball.
It all happened pretty fast and I didn't see it clearly enough to know who was at fault, if anyone, but the shortstop recovered in time to throw the batter out at first. Meanwhile, a third Gladiator run appeared to cross the plate and it looked as if we were going to proceed with runners on second and third and two out.
However, the SJ skipper came out on the field, protesting that RHS had interfered with the shortstop's attempt to field the ball. That led to a series of about four different discussions....first between the umpires alone, then the umpires and one coach, then the umps and the other coach, then the umps again. Finally after about a 10-15 minute delay, the base-runner was ruled out and the official verdict was an inning-ending double play, leaving RHS with just a 2-0 lead. Some of the more knowledgeable fans in the RHS stands said the call was correct and that in that situation the runner is automatically out, no matter who initiates the contact or how accidental it might have been.
So we moved on to the Stonewall half of the sixth where more fireworks erupted. There were two nearly identical plays in which the RHS first baseman stretched his hamstring about as far as it would take him to field a less-than-perfect throw from one of his teammates. In each case, the base umpire had to rule whether he was pulled off the bag.
On the first of those occasions, the batter was ruled safe, much to the dismay of most of the RHS fans who had a pretty clear view of the play. So at that point, Stonewall was cruising along at 2 for 2 on close plays. But on the second throw over to first, which looked as close if not closer than the first one, the ump ruled him out, which was a good thing for the Big Red.......a safe call on that play would have given SJ a run and closed the gap to 2-1.
Instead the Gladiators scored an insurance run in their half of the inning, capped off their third straight home shut-out, and in all likelihood put this one in the "it wasn't pretty but a win is a win" file. Everybody has some of those during a season.
The Big Red hosts Stuarts Draft Friday and East Rock in a make-up game Monday as the season winds down. They still appear to have a good shot at the number two seed in the Conference 36 playoffs.
