West Virginia and Arizona were tied 4-4 in the top of the tenth when a full count walk put Arizona’s go-ahead run on first. Things got weird fast. The runner got picked off and tagged out after stepping on the orange safety base instead of the white one. That’s a newer rule in college baseball, meant to avoid collisions, but it tripped up the Arizona runner. He thought he was safe, but the ump said otherwise. The Arizona coach lost it, yelling that the runner was pushed off the base. The video shows there was no push, just a gentle tag. The runner even moved his own foot once he realized he was on the wrong bag. The coach stuck to his version, but it didn’t hold up.
A second bizarre tag out happened in Minnesota vs. Michigan State softball. A Minnesota player hit a double, slid in safely, then celebrated the hit by high-fiving a teammate. During the celebration, a Michigan State fielder tagged her. Replay confirmed it. She was out. Great awareness from the Spartans and another display of how smart base running and fielding can flip a moment instantly. Both plays turned on small mistakes and sharp defense, and both led to confusion, frustration, and a whole lot of yelling.