Calling Saturday night’s Chapel Hill Super Regional game between North Carolina and West Virginia for ESPN, commentator Kyle Peterson blasted one of the umpires for a controversial — and incorrect — inning-ending call.
With his team trailing 2-1, Mountaineers’ catcher Logan Sauve came up with two outs and nobody on in the bottom of the eighth inning. Tar Heels’ reliever Dalton Pence threw a 2-2 breaking ball and while Sauve began to offer at the pitch, it appeared as though he checked his swing — something replays confirmed. But home plate umpire Kevin Sweeney ruled that Sauve went around, calling strike three to end both the at-bat and inning.
Peterson was quickly critical of Sweeney for the incorrect call but more importantly, for not asking the first base umpire for help on an appeal.
“You can’t do that. You cannot do that in that spot. That’s why the guy’s standing down at first base. You have to appeal. There’s no way that a home plate umpire can make this call. And it wasn’t even close to swinging. It was not even close. Kevin Sweeney’s a vet. He’s really good at his job. But that wasn’t very good. That one you have to ask for help because that ended in a big spot.”
“You cannot do that in that spot. That’s why the guy’s standing down at first base. You have to appeal. There’s no way that a home plate umpire can make this call. And it wasn’t even close to swinging.”
Kyle Peterson with some sharp umpire criticism.pic.twitter.com/1yx1qpLm56
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) June 9, 2024
West Virginia got one more chance and it was a good one. The Mountaineers loaded the bases in the ninth inning but Pence got out of the jam to close the game out.
The North Carolina Tar Heels are going to the College World Series! ⚾️pic.twitter.com/wSgwM2gKCo
— The Comeback (@thecomeback) June 9, 2024
That win, coupled with Friday’s dramatic victory, sent the Tar Heels to the College World Series while West Virginia’s season came to an end.
[Photo Credit: ESPN2]
