Logan O’Hoppe hit what looked like a walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth, but center fielder Trey Cabbage pulled off a leaping catch at the wall. At least it looked that way at first. Cabbage lost the ball when he hit the wall, and it dropped from his glove unnoticed. Meanwhile, all eyes were on the blast and the apparent robbery, but the real story was happening on the bases. As the throw came back in, Nolan Schanuel (referred to as “Po”) was already halfway to second. He realized the ball might’ve been caught and needed to re-tag first. He scrambled back, making sure to clearly retouch the bag in case of review. He stomped it repeatedly, leaving no doubt.
At the same time, O’Hoppe had to time his own run so he didn’t pass Po before Po secured first. If he had, the home run would’ve been wiped out. Coaches on the sideline screamed for Po to stop just short of the bag to let O’Hoppe pass. Everyone acted fast and with surprising precision. Po stopped just in time. O’Hoppe sprinted and touched first before him. Even the base coach managed not to touch either player, which would’ve invalidated the play. It was a split-second sequence involving awareness of tagging rules, timing, and body control. The umpires confirmed the ball had come out and ruled it a home run. What should’ve been a stolen victory for the defense turned into a chaotic but smart game-winner thanks to heads-up base running.