What Up, Ump? Coronado Challenges Strange Call in Rock Academy Game

Updated at 10:10 a.m. March 26, 2013

The Rock Academy was on the field Monday when a supposed double play led to a third out. Off came the players. Down went the jaws of spectators and Coronado High coaches.

Islanders coach Sam Ceci strolled out to chat with an umpire, challenging the third out, and for more than 5 minutes an Islander stayed planted on first base while the umps and Ceci hashed out the call.

Finally, the home-plate umpire apparently relented, calling the Warriors out of the visitors dugout at Silver Strand Elementary School, the baseball home of Coronado High.

Ceci, in his 14^th year as Coronado’s skipper, said he’s seen the situation many times, but “it’s the first time I’ve seen it called that way.”

A runner was out, he explained at Islander Field. Dead ball.

“The hitter is on first base with a hit, but the umpire somehow seemed to say that he could assume a double play was going to be made and that our runner got hit intentionally,” Ceci said after the Islanders beat the Rock 5-2.

A third out quickly followed, but Coronado went on a couple innings later to seal the game, boosting its season record to 5-4. The Rock Academy, connected to the Rock Church, fell to 0-5.

Junior left-hander Teddy Burnette allowed only four hits for the Islanders. The box score is on maxpreps.com.