Collision at 3rd results in altercation, ends game at Battery Creek
By Bob Sofaly
The Island News
The Wednesday, March 15 varsity baseball game between Hilton Head Christian Academy and Battery Creek High School at The Creek was off to a rocky start before the first pitch was even thrown. After an unconventional play and an altercation, it ended in disaster and players, coaches and parents went home after only one inning of play.
Ominously, the junior varsity game started late when no umpires showed up. Coaches decided to call the game themselves and the game began.
As game time for the varsity contest approached, the JV game, albeit very lopsided, was only in its third inning. So with a 12-2 lead and the visiting Eagles in control, the game was called after three innings and HHCA came away with the win.
As the varsity players from both schools were warming up, the infield was dragged smooth and watered to keep down the dust. The base pads and home plate were cleaned and the fans were settling in for a nice, enjoyable night of high school baseball.
In the top of the first, HHCA got a couple runners on the base, but the side was retired with no runs scored.
In the bottom of the frame, Battery Creek got a couple hits early and had runners at first and second. Hunter Smith crushed a long ball to deep right center field behind the outfielders allowing both runners to score. Smith, who started slowly, sprinted around second base with a full head of steam trying to stretch his double to a triple.
And everything went south real fast.
A perfect throw to third base caught Smith more than six feet from the bag. But Smith didn’t slow down, tried to take out the third baseman and was tagged out in a massive collision. A brief altercation ensued, and several of the players from both dugouts came onto the field.
When the pushing, shoving and yelling was over, three Battery Creek players, including Smith, HHCA head coach J.W. Wilkerson and an unknown number of HHCA players were ejected from the game.
When asked how many HHCA players were ejected, umpire Shane Stephens said, “We haven’t figured that out. But it’s enough to not continue the game.”
As the discussions between umpires and coaches continued near the pitcher’s mound, the spectators for both teams also began to get rowdy, causing at least one Beaufort County Sheriff’s Deputy to walk out onto the field.
A visibly disappointed Coach Wilkerson just shook his and said, “I got ejected. Crazy night in the Lowcountry.”
Bob Sofaly has been photographing people and what they do in Beaufort since Ronald Reagan was elected president in 1980. He can be reached at bobsofaly@gmail.com.
