Scott County Junior Legion's season ends in controversy

~ The winning run scored on a balk call on the catcher

Thursday's first two games of the District 14 Junior American Legion baseball tournament featured nothing close to a major controversy.

Not so regarding the final contest -- the first elimination game -- on the opening day of the four-team event at Central High School.

Second-seeded Sikeston Post 114 rallied to beat fourth-seeded Scott County Post 369 9-8 on a rare walk-off balk -- called not on the pitcher but the catcher.

The wild contest entered the bottom of the seventh inning with Scott County up 8-6.

Sikeston's first batter singled and the second walked before Scott County pitcher Thomas Trankler retired the next two.

Post 114, down to its final out, got consecutive RBI singles to forge a tie.

That's when things got interesting.

A wild pitch put runners on second and third, and Scott County decided to issue an intentional walk to Luke Williams.

Trankler threw three balls to Williams, but on the fourth delivery Sikeston coach Jacob May -- who was coaching third base -- yelled "balk" at the umpire in the field.

The umpire in the field ran toward the plate and also called balk. Drew Pikey trotted in from third base for the game-ending run.

What made the play most interesting is that the infraction was not called on Trankler but on the Scott County catcher, who was ruled to have left the catcher's box too soon to accept the pitch.

"On an intentional walk, the rule says the catcher has to stay in the box until the pitcher starts his motion," May said. "I said to Pikey when he was on third, 'Watch, the kid behind the plate is going to step out early.'"

The rare call drew an irate reaction from Scott County fans. Post 369 supporters restrained one man who went after the umpire.

Scott County coach Shelby Kight, who was upset when the call was made, was calm after the game.

"It's a very rare situation. It doesn't usually happen," Kight said. "It's a very, very tough way to end the season and the game."

Kight was proud of his squad, which bounced back from a 10-0 mercy rule loss to top-seeded Jackson Post 158 earlier in the day.

Scott County (11-20) led 3-0 after three innings, fell behind 6-3 after five innings and surged ahead 8-6 with a five-run fifth inning before Sikeston's final rally.

"It showed how good of a character my kids have to bounce back like that [from the Jackson game]," Kight said.

Sikeston (21-9) will play an elimination game at 4 p.m. today against the loser of the 1:30 p.m. winners bracket final between Jackson and third-seeded Cape Girardeau Plaza Tire Post 63.