This wasn’t quite Lou Piniella, but it was inspired.
Mississippi State assistant softball coach Tyler Bratton was ejected from Saturday’s game against Arkansas after screaming at an umpire over a waved-off home run.
He then picked up first base and chucked it into the outfield.
As 11th-ranked Arkansas led 4-0 in the third inning, Mississippi State was trying all it could to close the gap.
Freshman Macy Graf was walked with one out, and there arrived the opportunity to cut the deficit.
Teammate Chloe Malau’ulu was next to bat and followed up with a two-run homer blasted over the right-field wall, making it a 4-2 game.
But after Malau’ulu and Graf had already scored, home plate umpire Carlos Guzman called an out because Graf left first base early, and thus, the home run never officially happened.
In softball, a runner on base is not allowed to leave until the pitcher has actually released the ball, similar to some little league baseball rules, and unlike what we see in the Major Leagues and other pro outfits internationally.
This set Bratton off and he had to be restrained by another umpire as he fumed over the decision.
Unfortunately for Mississippi State, it didn’t prove to be a galvanizing ejection as Arkansas went on to win 11-0 in five innings.
That marked Mississippi State’s second loss to Arkansas in as many days, with the Bulldogs hoping to avoid a sweep on Sunday in Starkville.
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