Pennsylvania State Championship Baseball Game Ends In The Most Absurd Way Possible, With A "Balk-Off" In Extra Innings
The PIAA just wrapped up their state championships for spring sports this weekend. There are 6 divisions in the state for baseball, and it was North Penn taking on Cedar Cliff in the 6A State Championship game. It was a 0-0 slug fest after 7 innings of regulation, so it was on to extra innings they went.
8 wasn't enough. 9 wasn't enough. 10 wasn't enough. Eventually they get down to the bottom of the 13th inning, and Cedar Cliff gets the bases loaded with 0 outs. At this point you figure it's only a matter of time. Somebody is going to step up and be a hero. Somebody is going to have the hit of their life, and bring home a state championship for their school. At the very least, somebody is going to have the patience and eye to take enough pitches, draw a walk, and bring home a state championship. The most outlandish scenario anyone would think of would be maybe the moment gets a little too big for the pitcher, he throws a wild pitch, and now you have someone stealing home to seal the deal.
I don't think there's a single person on planet Earth who sees bases loaded and the thought of a "balk-off" even registers as a possible outcome.
I mean...a balk is a balk. It's probably a ridiculous rule in the first place, but it's still a rule. And even if the game didn't end with that balk, it would have taken an insane miracle to get out of that jam without giving up a run.
But winning a state championship 1-0 in extra innings off a balk with bases loaded is the type of story that is going to sound so made up in 30-40 years. These guys will be telling their kids about how they won their state championship, and nobody is going to believe them. It's like when your grandparents told you they had to walk to school 5 miles up hill each way. It's so preposterous that it can't be real. Yet here is live, video evidence of it happening. I guess anything that can happen, really will happen at some point.
P.S. -- While we're on the subject of Pennsylvania State Championships, just have to give a quick shoutout to the boys. I've been coaching high school lacrosse for the past 10 years at the school I went to. This past Saturday, the fellas got the job done.