Sports

Little League Level Brain Fart Fuels Epic Baseball Rally Igniting Absolute Chaos In West Virginia

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Getty Image / iStockphoto / Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports


The West Virginia baseball team is still alive following a comeback win in an NCAA Tournament elimination scenario. The Mountaineers beat Kentucky with an incredible ninth inning rally.

A Little League mistake helped fuel the late game run. It ignited absolute chaos in Morgantown.

The Wildcats were in the driver’s seat, two outs away from a Super Regional appearance. A mental error allowed the tying run to score. The Mountaineers took full advantage.

West Virginia baseball survives.

The Mountaineers are hosting a Regional at Kendrick Family Ballpark following a 39-win regular season. They quickly found themselves in the loser’s bracket despite that homefield advantage.

West Virginia won its opener but fell to Kentucky in Game 2. Another loss would effectively end the season.

The Mountaineers bounced back with a win over Wake Forest on Sunday afternoon. They then faced off against the Wildcats in a rematch that evening.

Things got off to a great start. West Virginia plated three runs in the first frame. It held a 6-3 lead after the top of the third. Kentucky kept responding.

The Wildcats scored in each of their first four plate appearances. They overcame the three-run deficit to take a 7-6 lead. That advantage grew to 9-6 in the bottom of the seventh.

West Virginia entered the ninth inning trailing by that same score. They’d plate five runs in their final at-bat to survive, capped by a monster home run.

Costly errors aided West Virginia.

Kentucky collapsed in the ninth frame. There’s no other way to put it.

The defense allowed the leadoff man to reach on an error. The pitching staff then walked the next batter. Two on, no outs.

West Virginia loaded the bases with a single before plating a run on a bases loaded walk. It forced Kentucky to make a change. The Wildcats called upon reliever Oliver Boone in a high leverage situation.

He’d get the first out on a sacrifice fly. The score was 9-8 with runners on first and third. Boone balked in the tying run.

By rule, a pitcher must throw when attempting a jump pivot pick off move to first base. There are no pump fakes allowed. This something taught at the Little League level.

Right-handed pickoff to first base: Once he disengages the rubber, the pitcher is committed to making the throw or will be charged with a balk.

-Little League

Boone had not pitched in 30 days. It may have impacted his decision making. The pressure seemed to get to him.

He’d then surrender a go-ahead homer to the next batter before being taken out of the game. West Virginia would hold onto its 11-9 lead to force a decisive elimination game on Monday.

The winner of the rubber match will advance to the Super Regional. The loser goes home. West Virginia currently has the momentum. We’ll see if it carries over into the next contest.