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This weekend I was working one of the City Leagues tournaments here in MN. Its USSSA. Its mid 90's all weekend. Did 9 games on Saturday and show up Sunday a 8:30 for my 6 game set. I look at the schedule and I have Adult Co-Rec all day. Great! This shouldnt be to tough a day. YEAH RIGHT!!
First game - No problems.
Second Game (Losers Bracket game) - Home team is down by 1, bases loaded and a woman at the plate, two outs. She strikes out looking. Needless to say I get the complaints from the team that lost, but I just walk away. Those things happen and its part of the game.
Third game - (Loser Bracket) Rematch of a first round game. Apparently these teams dont like each other. Home team is winning and at bat in the bottom of the 4th. Just before the pitcher starts her motion I look down the third base line and see the Home Teams third base coach/player in the visitors dugout swearing at the other teams player. I call TIME and head down the line and tell the coach/player that he is ejected from the game, he continues arguing so I tell him to take his stuff and leave the park. His team is winning and he gets thrown out of a game. Of course his teammates are all up in arms about where is the warning. No warning on something like that. Here is the kicker, the didnt have a substitute for him. Not only does he get booted, his team loses on forfiet because they cant field a full team.
So now I have a whole team yelling at me that I cost them the tournament.
Game Four - (Losers bracket play in to Championship). Players from forfieted team stay to root for the team playing the team the just "lost" too. Supporting Home Team for htis game. They tell the home team them that their team has their support. Top of first and any time the Visiting team was possibly going to swing the Home team "supporters" would all yell to distract the batter. We got through the top of the first and I went over and told the "fan support" that they could cheer and root for whoever they wanted too. However, if they continue to try and influence the game by attempting to distract the batter I will call an interference. Then I informed the Home team Manager of the same. HE said I dont know any of them. I told him that they had declared who they were supporting and now they are his problem. Most everything cools off after that.
The team that won the forfeit goes on to win the tournament 10 run rule in all three games.
Win a game on a forfiet in the losers bracket and go on to win the whole thing. Crazy!
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