DIVISION III WILD-CARD GAME : Tustin Doesn’t Get Call or Victory

The difference between victory and defeat for Tustin might have been the distance from Katie Scheuerman’s wrists to her hands.

Umpire Paul (Smokey) Edds overruled his umpiring partner, declaring Scheuerman did not have control of the ball on a force play at third, and it led to five unearned runs and Chino’s 5-4 victory over Tustin Wednesday in a Division III wild-card softball game.

Chino (12-14), third in the Baseline League, advanced to a first-round game against Rancho Cucamonga on Friday.

Tustin (12-8), third in the Sea View, went home.

“That play changed the whole complexion of the game,” Chino Coach Leo Leon said.

With runners at first and second, third baseman Kristin Kirkwood fielded Carrie Black’s bunt and whipped a throw to Scheuerman, the shortstop covering third base. The throw short-hopped Scheuerman, who trapped the ball against her chest with her wrists. Runner Arleen Felix was called out by the base umpire behind the play, but on appeal, Edds, the home plate umpire, overruled the call.

“The ball was pinned with her wrist against her body and that doesn’t constitute possession of the ball,” Edds said.

Tustin Coach Jerry Hoffman put up a mild protest over the changed call.

“I thought they might score a run or two, but not five,” he said.

A bases-loaded walk, an error, an RBI grounder, a squeeze bunt, another RBI grounder. Five runs, one hit, four errors.

That bizarre sequence followed a frustrating first inning. Tustin loaded the bases with none out, but failed to score.

“That was the most important thing for us,” Leon said. “We’ve only come from behind one time all season long.”

Tustin, its players making their first playoff appearance, had eight hits to Chino’s three. The Tillers stranded four runners in scoring position, and closed the gap only because freshman Jenny Odum hit a two-run homer, her fourth of the season, in the seventh. Odum had struck out in three previous at-bats with five runners on base.

After singles by Kirkwood and Scheuerman, Erin Hayes had an RBI double in Tustin’s two-run third inning.