Illinois and Iowa played a wild extra-inning game that ended in controversy. Bottom of the 10th, Illinois had the bases loaded down two runs. A ground ball looked like a possible game-ending double play. The throw to second was clean, but the runner to first beat it out. Then the umpires called interference on the slide into second base, ruling the lead runner out and ending the game.
Confusion erupted. The Iowa players and coaches pointed toward second, thinking Illinois might have passed a runner or committed some other violation. In reality, the umps said the runner sliding into second veered off the direct path over the bag, violating a strict college rule. Even though there was no contact with the fielder, the rule doesn’t require contact to make it interference. Illinois players and coaches were stunned. The footage showed the runner slid just left of the bag, but it wasn’t clear if he went far enough to justify the call. Still, after review, the call was confirmed.
Illinois’s head coach lost it, dropping several expletives and arguing hard, but the game was over. Iowa’s pitcher still needed one more out and closed it with three nasty pitches—a called strike, a breaking ball, then a swinging strikeout. Iowa held on for the win, but the ending left a lot of people confused and frustrated.