Controversy and New Jersey playoff games seem to go together this academic year.
After a high school basketball game ended in a dispute, the Garden State has now seen an umpire’s call play a role in the result of a playoff game.
Northern Highlands appeared to hit a game-tying three-run homer by Beckham Stern in its game with Mount Olive on Wednesday.
However, Mount Olive’s coach told his team to try an appeal pay.
The pitcher stepped off the mound and threw the ball to the catcher who stepped on home plate.
The ump ruled the first Northern Highlands player “to score” on the play did not touch home plate.
That meant he was out and Mount Olive had a 3-0 win.
“He completely jumped over home plate and missed by like three feet,” Mount Olive coach Pete Zoccolillo told NJ.com Thursday. “The umpire was standing right there and he saw it. He saw it. And he was watching everybody touch home, and the kid jumped over home plate. So the second kid came around and the third kid came around, so I appealed it. Everybody saw it. Myself, the crowd, everybody saw the kid completely jumped over home plate.”
The Northern Highlands coach also spoke to NJ.com:
“I just feel bad for the kids, especially the seniors,” Northern Highlands head coach Paul Albarella told the outlet. “It’s a shame that the game had to end on a technicality. I am very proud of my team for their resiliency all season.”
In the basketball season, what appeared to be a game-winning basket for Manasquan during a game with Camden was ruled after the buzzer, leading to a massive controversy because the shot appeared to be taken before the final buzzer.
