Vanderbilt left fielder Braden Holcomb definitely hit one home run on Friday night at Missouri. The question is, did he hit two?
Is a ball that allegedly clears the fence a home run if no one sees it go over? That’s the hot topic across the Southeastern Conference after a bizarre sequence in Columbia, Mo., late Friday night.
With Vanderbilt trailing Missouri 7-6 and runners on first and second with two outs in the top of the ninth, Holcomb crushed a ball deep into right-center field. But thick fog made it impossible for anyone—players, umpires, or fans—to track the ball.
The Commodores assumed it was a go-ahead homer, making it 9-7, and one umpire initially signaled home run. However, the umpires huddled and reviewed the play. Data from Trackman indicated the ball traveled 379 feet with an 18-degree launch angle—typically enough to clear the fence in many ballparks, given the power alleys are 375 feet.
Despite the data, the call was overturned and ruled a ground-rule double. Two of the three runs came off the board, leaving the score tied 7-7 with runners at second and third. The game was suspended and will resume Saturday at 5 p.m. ET.
The SEC released a statement Saturday morning: “During the top of the 9th with runners on first and second base, the batter hit a ball to right center field that was difficult to locate due to poor visibility. Upon conferring as a crew, the umpires ruled that the play was a ground rule double, scoring the runner from second base. After video review, the call on the field was upheld as no video evidence was available to overturn the call due to low visibility. Play was then suspended due to visibility conditions and will be resumed today at 4 p.m. in the top of the 9th with two outs, runners on second and third, and a score of 7-7.”
The controversial top of the ninth followed a Vanderbilt bullpen meltdown in the bottom of the eighth. The Commodores held a commanding 6-1 lead but gave up six runs, including two on bases-loaded walks, as Missouri stormed ahead 7-6.
This series is critical for Vanderbilt, now 10-14 in SEC play and at risk of missing the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2005.
