According to a coach who "used to play softball, so I know the rules... " I, too, cost his team the game... Bottom of 7th, tie game, winning run on 3rd base. Batter swings and hits the ball straight down. It ends up in the batters box. I had time to get a good look at it... it was definitely fair by at least 4 inches. I signal fair ball... the catcher makes a bad throw to 1st base, runner scores from 3rd. Game over. This genius coach comes out screaming that the ball was in the batters box. He got his moron fans riled up. too. It was getting ugly. I said something like, "Yes, it was in the batter's box. It was also a fair ball. This game's over."
As I left the field, I heard the coach (who had played softball, so he knew the rules) telling his team that they hadn't really lost that game. the plate ump lost it for them. I kept walking.
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