[rc blue]

hey thanks for all the replies! i will say that the reason the umpire called the runner out was likely because he was not a registered umpire, just a high school student officiating some rec ball. also, a lot of the parents and coaches were telling the players to throw the ball to first and tag the runner (even while he stood on first base). so i assume the ump just figured the coaches must be right (since he had never seen a situation like this before), and he called the runner out.