Washington HS Baseball Team's Walk-off Win in Title Game Negated by Celebration

When Anthony Scalzo drew a walk with the bases loaded in the bottom of the eighth inning of the Washington Class 3A state championship, it looked like Mercer Island High School had captured the state title.

The only problem was that the potential game-winning run was wiped off the board because a couple of Islanders runners never made it to the next base.

Once Scalzo drew ball four, the Islanders went wild—and for good reason. Unfortunately, Scalzo never reached first base, and the runner at second base, Brandon Lawler, never touched third. 

Astutely, Shorewood (Shoreline, Washington) High School appealed the play. According to Josh Liebeskind of the Seattle Times, the Thunderbirds argued that Lawler failed to make it to third.  

The umpires got together for a lengthy discussion and ultimately determined that the run would not count, meaning that the game would continue. Even after the Islanders protested with a rule book, the umpires maintained that the run did not count.

Mercer Island played the rest of the game under protest, but it would not matter. Josh Stenberg gave the Islanders a 1-0 victory with a solo shot in the bottom of the 13th inning:

There was no doubt that that run counted.

[Seattle Times Preps, h/t Deadspin]