In sports, just as in real life, you never know when a small event or decision winds up becoming magnified down the road. Take for example the 2002 American Football Conference Divisional Playoff Game between the New England Patriots and the Oakland Raiders. Out of timeouts and trailing by three with less than two minutes to play, the Patriots were driving for the tying score.
Oakland cornerback Charles Woodson sacked New England quarterback Tom Brady forcing a fumble that was recovered by the Raiders. Everyone thought the game was over. Instead, the play was reviewed and referee Walt Colman ruled Brady's arm was going forward — therefore it was not a fumble, but an incomplete pass instead.
From that point on, the little known "tuck rule" was introduced into the vocabulary of sports fans. The ruling would end up changing the fortune of the Patriots. New England would go on to win the game 16-13 in overtime. That game would also be the starting point of a Patriots dynasty that included three Super Bowl titles in the span of four years.
With the thought of a small event changing the course of a game in mind, I think back to last Tuesday night's baseball game between Miami University and Xavier University in the Joe Nuxhall Classic. Xavier had blown the game wide open in the fifth by scoring four runs in that frame to make it eight to two. The Musketeers would go on to add a run in three of the final four innings, while Miami could only muster two more runs.
It would set up the ninth inning with the RedHawks coming to bat in the bottom half trailing Xavier 11-4. It was at this point during a break, I turned to fellow WMSR broadcaster JM Rieger who I was calling the game with and said, "Wouldn't it be something if they (Miami) came back and sent this into extra innings." Of course at the time I uttered this comment in a sarcastic tone. I also must admit, I said it with a lot of doubt Miami would make the game even remotely interesting. Little did I or the hardy few who stayed to watch the final outs know what was about to unfold.
Ryan Kaup started the inning with popup right in front of home plate that Xavier first baseman Ben Thomas called for. Thomas prematurely closed his glove causing the ball to pop out and land harmlessly on the infield grass. Often times it is difficult to point to a single play over the course of a game that will directly lead to its outcome. However, in this instance one could make a very strong argument that the error by Thomas sparked a Miami rally. From that point on, Xavier reliever Josh Murphy was not the same.
After the error, Murphy would go on to give up four hits, walk one batter and surrender six runs before being yanked in favor of Alex Vice. The next Musketeer reliever would fare no better.
Vice gave up a double to Kevin Bower that plated Kyle Weldon and moved Adam Wiesenburger to third. Zak Hatfield followed with a single to right to drive in Wiesnburger and pinch runner Ryan Brenner to tie the game at 11. So with only one out in the inning, the RedHawks had the winning run at first base.
With momentum on his side, Klenke stole second to get into scoring position. Kaup scorched a single back up the middle. Klenke flew around third to score the winning run. The entire Miami dugout emptied and mobbed Kaup and Klenke behind home plate. The RedHawks had achieved the improbable scoring eight times in the bottom of the ninth to come from behind and win 12-11.
Believe it or not, baseball can sometimes be a game of momentum. Miami certainly got a boost from the dropped popup that spurred an unlikely comeback against Xavier. We will never know if Miami would have won the game if Thomas caught the popup off Kaup's bat. But, we do know the inning was not the same.
Against all odds the RedHawks somehow, someway found a way to beat the Musketeers. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying it was the best comeback story in sports history like the 2004 Boston Red Sox. Still, you have to admit it was a great rally. It was comeback few stuck around to see and even fewer heard on WMSR (the feed was cut off in the bottom of the ninth), but for those who were present we won't soon forget it.
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