Wichita State - Fullerton: A bad call

By Jeffrey Lutz - May 12, 2007

Not by Joe Brown (umpire, not judge), but by WSU coach Gene Stephenson. With runners on first and third and one out with No. 3 hitter Damon Sublett up and the Shockers trailing 3-1, Stephenson called an ill-advised hit and run.

I dislike the "hit" part of this call because it's wrong to force Sublett to try to hit the ball the other way, when he has the potential to pull it and hit a home run. I dislike the run part because Sublett is the go-ahead run. If someone gets thrown out trying to steal, a Sublett homer only ties the score.

So Sublett does as asked and hits a rocket up the middle. Just where the shortstop is standing to cover second base. He catches it, throws out the runner from first, and the inning is over. WSU will struggle to get that momentum back, but it's the Shockers' own fault they lost it in the first place. Let your No. 3 hitter swing there and maybe win the game because of it.

WSU starter Rob Musgrave, meanwhile, has regained his form. His 13 strikeouts have shattered his career high of nine, and as I write this he is being removed after 6 2/3 mostly masterful innings. Aside from four hitters in the fourth inning, when Musgrave allowed three runs, he's been outstanding. He's pitched around some bad defense and an inconsistent strike zone. He probably doesn't deserve to lose this game, but Kaplan has been just a tick better.

Musgrave can't get the win, but the Shockers have nine outs to get him off the hook. Can they rediscover that precious dynamic called momentum?