In a thrilling matchup between Oklahoma and Tennessee in the Women’s College World Series, Megan Grant hit a two-run homer to tie the game. However, controversy surrounded the play after further inspection revealed that Grant didn’t touch home plate immediately.
The Incident
- The incident occurred during the top of the fifth inning when Grant hit a ball over left field to tie the game 1-1.
- She was mobbed by teammates at home plate before eventually being assisted by catcher Alexis Ramirez to touch the plate.
- The play was reviewed for over three minutes by umpires.
Umpires’ Ruling
- The ruling ultimately favored Grant, with umpires citing a technicality in Appendix G of NCAA softball rules regarding reviewable plays.
- According to Appendix G, if an umpire is unsure whether a runner touched home plate safely or missed it entirely, they can call for assistance from other officials on site.
Reactions
- Grant stated she didn’t realize she had missed touching home plate until her teammates started celebrating around her and pointed at her feet. "I just kind of stood there for like two seconds," she said.
- Oklahoma coach Patty Gasso expressed relief, saying, "I’m glad I got out of there without getting tagged out."
- Tennessee coach Karen Weekly expressed frustration with the decision but acknowledged it was correct according to NCAA rules. "We’re going to have some conversations about this rule because we don’t think it should be reviewable," Weekly said after Tuesday night’s loss.
Game Highlights
- Oklahoma won 2-0 on Wednesday night behind another strong performance from pitcher Jordy Bahl, who will face Alabama in Thursday night’s championship series opener.
- Bahl threw seven shutout innings against Tennessee on Tuesday night, allowing only one hit while striking out eight batters and walking one.
- "She pitched great tonight," Gasso said after Wednesday night’s win over Tennessee. "She had good stuff tonight."
- Bahl has been dominant throughout postseason play this year, allowing only five earned runs through four games while striking out 34 batters and walking six others. "It feels amazing right now," Bahl said after Wednesday night’s win over Tennessee. "We’ve worked so hard all season long."
Oklahoma will look to continue its winning streak when they face Alabama on Thursday night in Game 1 of their best-of-three championship series matchup.
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