By DAVID CUCCHIARA

Washington Daily News

 

BUNN, N.C. — The Pam Pack’s 2014 softball campaign came to a close Saturday evening in the second round of the NCHSAA Class 2-A State Playoffs, controversially, uncomfortably and, for having such a strong inaugural season in the class, rather unfittingly.

Washington dropped to Bunn in a close contest, 3-2, one which left players and fans mystified.

With the game tied at two heading into the bottom of the seventh inning, ace Haley Hutchins had already tallied nine strikeouts in six innings of work for head coach Doug Whitehead. Against a powerful lineup batting well over .350 this season, Whitehead planned to go with his ace for at least the remainder of regulation play.

Sophomore Stephanie Williams came through with a huge leadoff triple to right-center for Bunn, putting the game-winning run 60 feet away. Whitehead headed to the mound and instructed Hutchins to walk the next two batters, loading the bases to set up a force at home plate. Once Makayla Brantley and Erica Davis took their respective bases, Whitehead again journeyed to the mound to align his defense accordingly. That’s when the umpires informed him he must change pitchers because it was the second mound visit of the inning.

According to Article 1 of Rule 3, Section 7, each team, when on defense, is allotted three mound visits in a seven-inning game. After three charged conferences, “the pitcher shall be removed as pitcher for the duration of the game.”

In Little League, travel softball and even Major League Baseball, the two-conference per inning rule would have been correctly applied. However, in North Carolina High School Softball, the rule is different. Play was halted for 20 minutes in an attempt to set the record straight and apply the correct ruling, but in the end, the umpires insisted the switch be made.

Hutchins was removed from the game with the bases loaded and no outs. Freshman Hailey Harris, who has made just four appearances all season (11 innings of work), was inserted as pitcher, and managed to retire the first two batters she faced, before eventually walking in the winning run.

“This was a misapplication of the rule by the umpires,” said Mark Dreibelbis, the supervisor of officials for the NCHSAA. “If I deem a sanction is appropriate, then a sanction will be assessed.”

The NCHSAA ruled that the result stands, eliminating the Pam Pack from the state playoffs because a Protest Committee, or a group of five people (coaches, athletic directors, etc.), was not organized at the game’s commencement to address the rule’s misinterpretation. The NCHSAA does not recognize or accept game protests, according to Dreibelbis.

As for the umpires, the league has suspended the crew for the remainder of this season and next season’s playoffs, a punishment for the incorrect ruling.

Despite the calamity, Davis, Bunn’s sophomore starter, became the second pitcher this season to keep the Washington bats in check. Davis finished with eight strikeouts and allowed just two hits. Both runs posted were unearned.

With the tough loss, Washington finishes the season with a 16-4 record. Bunn advances to the third round of the state playoffs and will face the No.1 seeded Northeastern on Tuesday.