Fairfield and Arizona State were tied 6-6 in the sixth when one of the weirdest plays of the year unfolded. After a ball dropped in center field, putting two Arizona State runners on, a pitch got past the ASU catcher in what looked like a cross-up. The ball disappeared. Players and umpires couldn’t find it. Then the umpire, after some confusion and a brief pause, declared the ball had landed in his own pocket. According to the rules, that’s umpire interference, so the runners were awarded bases. One scored, another moved to third. The whole situation looked like a magic trick, as nobody saw the ball go in, and the umpire gave no clue he had it until suddenly pulling it out.
Fairfield’s coach was stunned, asking for an explanation. Replays showed the ball hit the umpire’s chest protector, bounced straight into his shirt pocket, and stuck there. It was bizarre, unintentional, and nearly impossible to recreate. Despite the odd nature of the play, the rules were correctly applied. Crucially, this weird moment didn’t decide the game. Fairfield bounced back and won, continuing a strong season where they tallied 28 straight wins. Still, the highlight of the night wasn’t the final score, but the ball vanishing into an umpire’s pocket mid-game without anyone noticing.