@KDJMedia1
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A New York high school baseball state championship game between Fox Lane and Horseheads has been thrust into the national spotlight after a controversial late call may well have decided the outcome. Horseheads claimed a 6-5 victory in extra innings, but how it got there is raising several questions.
The two teams entered extra innings tied at 5-5 after a back-and-forth affair in regulation. After a scoreless top of the eighth inning, Horseheads hitter Micah Hays appeared to harmlessly ground out to first base for the second out of the inning with nobody on base and it appeared the game was likely set to go to the ninth. But the first base umpire saw things differently.
This call that will haunt Fox Lane baseball.
Bot 8, one out and nobody on. Grounder to first. Seems to hit the baseline and field past the bag. Ruled a foul ball. Foxes protested.
Next pitch a double. And that batter proved to be the winning run in the state final.
The play: pic.twitter.com/rYEN2XCkTM
— Kevin Devaney Jr. (@KDJmedia1) June 14, 2025
The umpire ruled that the ball had crossed over the first base bag in foul territory, giving Hays another shot. The Fox Lane players and coaches disagreed. One pitch later, Hays ripped a double into the gap. He’d go on to score the game’s winning run on an infield single.
“Oh yeah, that was foul,” Hays confidently said after the game.
Fox Lane, again, did not see things the same way. It marked the second controversial ending to a high school state baseball championship in as many days after a Pennsylvania team lost on a walk-on balk in 13 innings the day prior.
“Hard to find the words,” the Fox Lane program posted on X. “Yes, today’s loss was gut wrenching but the coaches and I went on one of the greatest rides with the greatest group of kids you could ever be around day in and day out. BASEBALL FAMILY FOREVER!!”
Talk about a heartbreaker.