Tension ran high late in the game between Troy and Louisiana. Blake Caval, the Troy hitter with a .605 on-base percentage, came to the plate with two outs in the top of the ninth. After a tense full count, he drew a walk and celebrated with some animated energy toward his dugout. The next batter connected for a deep shot to the gap, but the relay home cut down the runner by plenty. After the tag, the Troy catcher exchanged words with the Louisiana baserunner, sparking a brief moment of jawing. The runner clearly gave himself up but was still charging hard when tagged, which led to the catcher yelling something that drew a sharp reaction from Caval.
In the bottom of the ninth, with Troy clinging to a 4-3 lead, Louisiana managed to get the tying run on base with a clean single. Caval, now playing first base, offered a compliment to the runner after some hesitation. But moments later, the drama peaked when the batter was called for interference after stepping out of the box and obstructing the catcher’s throwing lane. The throw to second didn’t get the runner, but it didn’t matter. The plate umpire ruled interference, resulting in two outs on the play: the batter and the runner. Game over. The Louisiana coach stormed out to argue the call, insisting the runner wasn’t touched and that it wasn’t interference. The ump held firm. Troy celebrated as Louisiana stood stunned. Caval and his teammates ran off the field pumped, ending the game on a rare but correct technicality.