Fighting to stay alive in the College World Series, Oklahoma appeared to break a 0-0 tie in the sixth inning.
The umpires decided otherwise.
With one out and runners on first and third, outfielder John Spikerman beat out a bunt. Although he ran straight up the line, pitcher Hunter Elliott’s throw to first base hit him on the back leg.
The crew called runners interference, calling Spikerman out and taking away a run that would have scored handily even on a clean throw. Oklahoma stayed scoreless to end the inning.
Even if the umpires correctly interpreted the rule, fans are furious that the Rebels essentially got rewarded for an errant throw when there was no way for Spikerman to avoid the ball.
After allowing the game’s first run in the bottom of the sixth, the Sooners answered with two runs in the seventh. However, they yielded three more in the eighth.
The Rebels secured a 4-2 victory to sweep the best-of-three series and win their first national title in school history.
Their triumph is a feel-good story for a program that almost didn’t make the 64-team tournament altogether, but Sunday’s win is somewhat marred by an unfortunate call.