In a Little League World Series regional game between Oklahoma and Texas West, a sign-stealing drama broke out in the middle innings. During the top of the fourth, Oklahoma had a runner on second who was allegedly signaling pitches to the batter. The umpire stopped the game, warned the player, and told the coaches it was against Little League rules, which prohibit relaying signs to hitters. Despite some sideline confusion and protest from coaches, the umps issued a warning and play resumed.
Then in the fifth inning, another Oklahoma runner reached second, and the same accusations came up. Umpires again stopped the game, said it was a second offense, and told the coach he could be ejected. The coach protested, but ultimately wasn’t thrown out. After a long delay, the batter stepped back in and launched a go-ahead grand slam, giving Oklahoma the lead in a tense elimination matchup. The dugout exploded and the parents in the stands celebrated hard.
The game stayed intense. Both teams traded leads and it went to extra innings. Oklahoma ended up winning, meaning the drama around the alleged sign stealing mattered. Little League’s strict rules on sportsmanship and sign relaying led to a chaotic stretch, but on the field, Oklahoma let their bats do the talking when it counted.