Ejection rule could force Yucaipa out of playoffs
By J.P. Hoornstra / Staff Writer
YUCAIPA - They made even a CIF-SS playoff game look like batting practice - as they always do - by scoring 15 runs on 16 hits and nearly blowing Crescenta Valley out of the Inland Empire.
But the Yucaipa baseball team might be derailed by something that didn't make the box score in its 15-7 win Thursday. Catcher Cody Meservey was ejected in the second inning but didn't immediately leave Thompson field. That drew a protest from Falcons coach Phil Torres that will be reviewed by the Southern Section.
If the protest is upheld, the Thunderbirds would have to forfeit the game and any hopes of winning a division title.
"We're the fourth-ranked team in the country, No. 1 in the state, we've never had problems before," Yucaipa coach Jeff Stout said. "I hope CIF shows compassion toward us."
Meservey was ejected by home-plate umpire Bill Barnes in the second inning after Barnes called pitcher Frank Martin's 2-0 pitch to R.J. Morris a ball.
The reason for the ejection?
"(Barnes) said he wasn't going to allow the catcher to show him up. (Meservey) questioned that pitch," Stout said. "That's kind of stringent. If he had used profanity, I would understand."
Meservey briefly remained in the dugout before taking a walk with athletic director Mark Anderson to the nearby football field.
"Cody's never been kicked out before," Stout said. "(Anderson) took him for a walk to cool him down ... all the way to the football stadium. That's why he was there."
But Torres still could see Meservey watching the game from the top of the bleachers.
"When you get kicked out of the game, you have to leave right away," Torres said. "(Meservey) was still chirping from the dugout, then he was on top of the football stadium."
Torres was part of a similar scenario in 2005 when Arcadia coach Sean McCorry was ejected from his team's regular-season finale against Crescentia Valley. The Southern Section ruled McCorry committed a rules violation when he watched his team's playoff opener days later from across the street, and Arcadia had to forfeit.
As for the rest of the game, both teams seemed at ease against the other's pitching. Yucaipa just made it look easier.
Matt Marnati tripled twice, scored twice and drove in two runs. Brian Derryberry and Taijuan Walker each went 3-for-4 and J.T. Sandburg - Meservey's replacement at catcher - tripled and scored twice.
Yucaipa survived a poor outing from Martin, who allowed five earned runs in four innings.
The question now is whether the Thunderbirds can survive the aftermath of Meservey's ejection.
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It sounds like coach Phil Torres can't win a tough game
so he bitches until he gets what he wants and thats how they move on.
its too bad that the bad sportsmanship of one player may cost Yucaipa their season. The kid should've been ejected in the first inning.
That's what happens when these "kids" watch the pros act childishly and throw tantrums. Deserve the full effects of the rules, too bad for the team.
The reason all this happened......Jeff Stout. It's his team. His catcher. He allowed his catcher to act like a "baby". Stout knows the rules. After an ejection...out of sight / out of sound. He knew his kid could not stand in the football bleachers. Yucaipa should not however loose this game because of this. But if they do....blame Jeff!