Mississippi State softball coach is furious after early runner negates 2-run home run

Softball and baseball have different rules when it comes to base running. It's a lesson Mississippi State learned the hard way on Saturday.

In fast-pitch softball, a runner on base is not allowed to leave until the pitcher releases the ball. Thanks to breaking that rule, the Bulldogs had a home run taken off the board against Arkansas, leading to a tirade from assistant coach Tyler Bratton that prompted his ejection. He got his money's worth on the way out.

With Arkansas leading 4-0 in the third inning, MSU freshman Macy Graf reached first base on a one-out walk. Chloe Malau'ulu then took the plate and knocked a two-run home run over the right-field wall to cut MSU's deficit in half. Or so MSU thought.

After Graf and Malau'ulu reached home plate, home plate umpire Carlos Guzman signaled that there was an out. Graf left first base early. She was called out, and the home run was taken off the board. Chaos then ensued courtesy of Bratton, who was not pleased with the call.

Bratton made his way past Guzman, who attempted to restrain him on his way down the first-base line. Guzman was unsuccessful. Bratton pulled away from Guzman, gestured in his face, then made a bee-line for the primary target of his ire — first-base umpire Chris Nabors.

Bratton yelled at Nabors, who turned his back to Bratton then ejected him from the game. Bratton responded with a time-tested maneuver of angry baseball coached. He picked up first base and tossed it into the outfield.

Nabors continued to walk away as Guzman intervened an eventually coaxed Bratton back toward the third-base line, while taking multiple earfuls along the way. An usher was there to escort Bratton from the stadium, and Bratton appeared ready to comply, having gotten his point across as best he could.

But there was one more item of business. After a pump-fake toward the exit, Bratton briefly returned to the MSU to retrieve his brief-case, only then to finally exit the building. A-plus SEC Network camera work kept trained on Bratton the whole time.

What the rulebook states

Bratton's anger is understandable. That's a brutal way to watch runs come of the board. But if Graf did indeed leave early, Nabors made the right call. By the book, at least. The initial video angle didn't show Graf, or how close the call actually was.

Rule 12.6.1 of the NCAA rulebook deems that a runner is out "When she leaves the base she is occupying before the pitch is released and the defensive coach does not take the result of the play."

The Arkansas coach surely didn't intend to take the result of the play, so Graf was out. Regardless, the play resulted in zero runs for Bulldogs.

C. Malau'ulu then struck out for the final out of the inning, and Arkansas went on to an 11-0 win.

At least Bratton didn't have to watch the rest of the game.