If we’ve learned one thing from the regionals at the College World Series, it’s that there’s nothing routine about a routine fly ball.
During an Austin regional game on Friday, a Louisiana Tech player hit an inside-the-park grand slam when the Dallas Baptist center fielder lost a ball in the lights. Something similar happened a day later, in Virginia Tech’s game in the Blacksburg regional against Columbia.
Hokies first baseman Nick Biddison appeared to make a productive out when, with a runner on third and one out, he hit a fly ball to deep left field. The ball was in the park but easily deep enough to score the runner from third. But the sacrifice fly turned into a home run when Lions left fielder Cole Hage lost the ball. He eventually found it but by that point, it was too late. Biddison rounded the bases and recorded an inside-the-park home run without a throw.
𝙈𝘼𝘿𝙉𝙀𝙎𝙎 𝙄𝙉 𝘽𝙇𝘼𝘾𝙆𝙎𝘽𝙐𝙍𝙂 🤯
≫ @NickBiddison 🔨#RoadToOmaha #Hokies 🦃⚾️ pic.twitter.com/i0NGntADuu
— Virginia Tech Baseball (@HokiesBaseball) June 5, 2022
You have to feel bad for Hage here. It’s a bad mistake to make but he wasn’t the only player on his team to lose that ball. Shortstop Andy Blake (No. 42) also appeared to lose track of the ball until it hit on the ground.
This play was only a part of what was a disastrous inning for Columbia. The Lions entered the fourth inning up 2-1. When Columbia finally came to bat in the bottom of the inning, Virginia Tech held a 15-2 lead, as the inside-the-park home run was part of a 14-run inning for the Hokies.
This is what a 14-run inning looks like in the live stats. Ninth time Tech has scored 15 or more runs this season.#Hokies lead 15-2 heading into the bottom of the fourth. pic.twitter.com/SnpZltrdeS
— Chris Hirons (@chrisjhirons) June 5, 2022
Obviously, the wheels had already fallen off for the Lions at the time of Hage’s miscue. If Hage had made the play as expected, it would have been a sacrifice fly and Virginia Tech still would have been up 11-2. Heck, even if he had managed to catch the ball and somehow throw Hokies runner Virginia Tech runner Carson DiMartini out at home, Columbia was still trailing 10-2. So, Hage can’t take too much blame for the disastrous inning.
Still, while there’s never a good time to lose a ball in the lights, this is about the worst time for that to happen.
For Virginia Tech, it’s the latest highlight in a season that’s already produced some unusual ones.
[Virginia Tech Baseball, Chris Hirons]
