[ NBC World Series: Changed call in eighth opens door for St. Joseph

Topeka Capital-Journal, The, Jul 31, 2002 by Brent Maycock Capital-Journal

NBC World Series: Changed call in eighth opens door for St. Joseph

By Brent Maycock

The Capital-Journal

WICHITA --- Kyle Wilson thought he had tagged St. Joseph's Raymond Chang.

So did Topeka coach Bryan Schmidt and the rest of his Capital players.

Heck, even first base umpire Lenny Lovejoy thought the tag had been made when Chang tried to beat out a sacrifice bunt in the top of the eighth inning of Friday's second-round game at the NBC World Series.

Then he changed his mind.

And just like that the complexion of the game changed squarely in St. Joseph's favor. The Saints took full advantage of the out-safe call to pull out a 6-5 victory over Topeka, sending the Capitals into the elimination bracket and a 10 p.m. game today against the Edmond (Okla.) Mudcats at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium.

"I hate to blame the umpire, but you saw it, I saw it, everybody saw it," Schmidt said. "I definitely thought he was out and the umpire thought he was out. He was going up to signify an out and then five seconds later he calls safe."

The call proved to be a key turning point in the game. Topeka held a 5-4 lead entering the eighth, scoring the go-ahead run in the seventh on Wilson's sacrifice fly.

St. Joseph's Scott Koerber led off the eighth with a clean single and Chang then bunted up the first base line. Wilson fielded the bunt and appeared to tag Chang as he dove for the bag.

"I tagged him," Wilson said. "I didn't think there was any question about it. Then I look back and the first base ump is calling him safe. I felt I clearly tagged him."

Chang felt otherwise.

"He missed me," Chang said.

St. Joseph followed with another sacrifice. Topeka nearly worked out of the jam when pitcher Steve Hale started a rundown on a comebacker. But with two outs, Saints nine-hole hitter Jeff Jorgensen delivered a two-run single to left for the game-winner.

Topeka put the leadoff batter on in both of its final two at- bats, but St. Joseph closer Kevin Geiersbach struck out Miles Franklin to end the eighth and then started a 1-6-3 double play on John Allen's check-swing grounder in the ninth.

"It is (a tough way to lose), but we have to put it past us and go get it back," Wilson said. "We had chances to win, so you can't look at that (call) and say that's why we lost."

Topeka, which rallied with an 11-run 11th inning to win Sunday's tourney opener 14-4, rode the momentum to a 3-1 lead in the first inning, getting RBI singles from Cody Clark and Jonathen Higashi.

St. Joseph tied it with runs in the third and fourth before Topeka went back up on back-to-back doubles from Clark and Wilson.

St. Joseph........101....100....120....---....6....11....1

Topeka............300....010....100....---....5....11....2

Ebers, Jean (7), Geiersbach (8) and Heaberlin; Miskell, Hale (7), Morroffi (9) and Clark.

W --- Jean. L --- Hale.

S --- Geiersbach.

2B --- St. Joseph: Snook, Egli; Topeka: Clark, Wilson.

Brent Maycock may be reached at

(785) 295-5662 or bmaycock@cjonline.com.