Should Martinez have been awarded first base? OU and NCAA both say no
Published: 6/7/2012 1:39 AM
Last Modified: 6/7/2012 1:39 AM
What a crazy moment in the last half-inning of Alabama' 5-4 college softball championship victory over Oklahoma Wednesday night/Thursday morning.
With one out in the top of the seventh and the bases empty, OU's Destinee Martinez chopped a ball into the dirt around home plate. She was halfway to first base, and sure to beat any Alabama throw, when she collided with first baseman Cassie Reilly-Boccia.
I'll be honest. My first thought was that Reilly-Boccia had knocked Martinez down. Martinez, therefore, had to be awarded first base. But I was wrong.
Both OU coach Patty Gasso and NCAA softball secretary rules editor Dee Abrahamson said so. (Abrahamson said she does all of the rules interpretations at the WCWS).
First Gasso's comments: "Destinee was on the wrong side of the line. Where there is a collision, that is the right call. She was just trying to be aggressive, trying to make something happen. It was a tough play."
Now for Abrahamson: "The rule is the fielder has to be given the opportunity to field the ball without being interfered with. What happened on that play was in the umpire's judgment, the fielder was about to field the ball and the runner ran into her and prevented her from having a chance to make a play. It doesn't even say make an out, but make a play. She didn't get that opportunity.
"The home plate umpire was sure she had it (the call) but to be sure, especially with some of the physical play that's gone on in our tournament this year, she called her associate in just to make sure that at the last minute he didn't see something different. He said, 'No, I got what you got.'
"It's a pretty simple rule. It's pretty automatic. It just turned out to be a huge play in the game."
Sure did. Lauren Chamberlain followed Martinez by launching a home run. With Martinez on, the score becomes 5-5. Instead, Alabama held on to win 5-4 after Jackie Traina struck out Keilani Ricketts.
A follow-up I asked Abrahamson: If the fielder initiates contact in that situation, could the runner be awarded first base?
"If the fielder is there and goes more to make contact rather than to get the ball, in the umpire's judgment they could say no (runner's) interference. That's another good reason to check with your partner to say, 'Hey, are you sure you got what I got?' Sometimes they're fielding a ball and it takes a bad hop and they end up getting pulled into the runner. But the fielder has priority."
Written by
Guerin Emig
Sports Writer
