In a nail-biting game decided on a controversial call, the varsity baseball team fell to St. John’s College High School in the DCSAA championship game on May 18.

The impactful call came in the third inning, with two St. John’s runners on base, and only one out. Wilson pitcher Collin Bosley-Smith had thus far allowed no runs to score and he had pitched an incredible game. Bosley-Smith decided to try and pick off the runner. He made a slight movement of his feet, and a metaphorical whistle blew. The umpire had called a balk, an illegal move by a pitcher. The exuberant runner advanced to third base. A few moments later, a wild pitch allowed the runner to score. Wilson ended up losing 1-0.

St. John’s pitcher Ian Remalia and Tigers pitcher Collin Bosley-Smith both put on memorable performances. Each pitcher gave up just one hit through two innings and remained nearly flawless before the balk call.

Though it angered many fans and Tigers’ coaching staff, the call stood and the at bat continued. Bosley-Smith’s wild pitch through the legs of catcher Josh Lasser allowed the runner to score, turning out to be the game’s only run. Remalia then used this momentum to pitch four more innings of scoreless baseball, carrying the Cadets to become the DCSAA champions.

The Tigers had a lot of trouble dealing with Remalia’s pitching. Through seven innings, Remalia gave up only four hits while striking out three batters. The St. Johns defense was impeccable throughout the game. They were able to turn two crucial double plays to get out of tough situations, as well as not commit a single error. Catcher Dylan Winobnowor used a cannon of an arm to throw out two runners who were attempting to steal second.

Bosley-Smith’s pitching was just as good as Remalia’s. Giving up just one run in six innings of pitching, Bosley-Smith also recorded nine strikeouts. Senior pitcher Remalia pitched six shutout innings for the Cadets, and David Michael Jefferson scored the only run of the game. Surprisingly, given the final score, the Tigers had a total of four hits compared to St. John’s two. In the end, the winner came down to a subjective call, a wild pitch, and missed opportunity.