Little League Ejects Tulsa National, Voids 3-2 Win Over Ineligible Player
Updated
Updated · USA TODAY · Aug 10
Little League Ejects Tulsa National, Voids 3-2 Win Over Ineligible Player
3 articles · Updated · USA TODAY · Aug 10
Summary
About an hour before Monday’s first pitch in Waco, Little League removed Tulsa National from the Southwest Region baseball tournament and turned its 3-2 semifinal win over Louisiana into a forfeit.
The ruling hinged on one player being ineligible under residency or school-attendance rules, though Little League did not identify the player and said the tournament committee’s decision was final.
Louisiana’s scheduled elimination game against Texas West instead became the regional championship, Tuesday’s title game was canceled, and the winner advances to the Little League World Series starting Aug. 19 in Pennsylvania.
Tulsa National’s softball team was expelled from the Southwest regional on similar eligibility grounds less than three weeks ago, also after a win over Louisiana in Waco.
Little League said nothing about further penalties, but past cases have gone beyond forfeits, including stripping Jackie Robinson West of its 2015 titles over boundary violations.