To set the scene: Hornell, the No, 4 seed, who already won on TWO last-inning walk-offs to reach the title game, had a 5-1 lead on No. 2 Pal-Mac. The lead dwindled to 5-4 with two runners on and two outs in the seventh inning. Hornell star lefty pitcher Gates Miller was at the pitch limit, meaning this was his last batter no matter what. His strike three pitch appeared to be a curve in the dirt. The batter didn’t swing. The umpire signaled out. The catcher from Hornell picked the ball up. Even though there was a runner on first, with two outs the ball has to be secured. You have to catch it or tag the runner out. With less than two outs, it’s simply an out. Confusing? Yes. But that’s baseball.
The Hornell catcher, who was the reason the team won the semifinals and his bat helped them take the lead, looked back at the umpire, was unsure of the call, looked toward first and was sure the game was over, as he appeared to tag the batter before he ran to first. You could hear in the video someone yell out. As all players do on the last out, he put the ball in his back pocket and joined his team in a mob and dog pile on the pitcher’s mound.
The Pal-Mac batter, Brady Prebalick, did not think he was touched and the ump indicated the same (the Hornell catcher had his back to the ump when the safe call originated). Prebalick raced to first (he has to touch first or he is out and the runs would not count). Meanwhile, the runners on first and second, Brennan Pipitone and Will Caffyn, raced around the base, scoring the tying and winning run.