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A minor league baseball player turned a strikeout into an inside-the-park HR on Wednesday. Well, sort of.
The Little League homer came thanks to a comedy of errors from the opposing team, with a fumbled third strike kickstarting the embarrassing chain of events.
The viral moment came during a matchup between the Lake County Captains and the Lansing Lugnuts. The High-A contest looked more like a youth sports game in this particular instance.
With the Captains already leading the game 9-0, third baseman Tyresse Turner stepped up to the dish. The lefty went down on strikes, swinging at a pitch in the dirt.
Lansing catcher Carlos Amaya was able to block and corral the baseball, but his throw down to first base sailed high over his teammate’s head. It managed to evade back-up defenders, too.
Turner continued to round the bases as the ball made its way to the right field corner. By the time Lugnut outfielders were able to relay back to the infield, the baserunner was sliding into home plate.
something you don’t see everyday ⤵️@TurnerTyresse with the little league homerun 🤭 pic.twitter.com/JrLdqv2FLR
— Lake County Captains (@LCCaptains) September 6, 2023
The run put the Captains up 10-0 in a game they’d go onto win 13-1. The contest was called in the eighth inning.
Baseball fans online immediately reacted to the clip, posting responses to the rarely seen feat on social media.
“I saw this happen last night at my kid’s Little League game,” one person said.
“I’ve been a baseball fan my whole life and I swear I see something new almost every day. This is insane,” wrote another.
While some commented on the rarity of the strikeout turned HR, others chimed in on the rule that allowed such a play to happen.
“Worst rule in baseball and it’s not close. You get a second chance because you struck out on a pitch that was SO BAD that the catcher couldn’t even catch it.”
Like the rule or not, the hustle of the baserunner has to be commended. The defensive play, not so much.
This is definitely worthy of a spot on Sportscenter’s “Not Top 10.”