Rewatched Gaby & Annika’s last ABs in 7th. HP ump saved Francik
First called strike on both were balls. And it’s not the camera angle…Mizelle was LOW. First one called vs Rohs was high AND 3-1 pitch was ball 4 low and outside…Then Anni felt she had to protect outside and rolled it over for groundout.
Gaby should’ve had 3-0 count and Anni should’ve walked. EASILY could’ve been 1st & 2nd with 1 out and Addison & Jordan coming up.
Avery was great and she didn’t get those pitches at the bottom of the zone. HP was NOT calling low strike just below knee, slightly above stirrup…until she did on our last 2 batters. We battled and we were patient as we should’ve been trying to get her to bring it up in zone…HP ump bailed her out…BIG TIME
** Edited by hokiepro at 5/10/2026, 8:35:37 AM
41 Replies
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bgna
2mo
he felt she had been biased toward FSU in that game. That was an unsolicited comment when our calls were a little off base in that night’s game. I was nervous when she was behind plate for us on Sat, but there was a lot of inconsistency with all 3 umpires for us, so I’m sure the players were frustrated. Anni was even showing frustration in field over calls against our pitchers. When winning margins are that close, everything mattered. Tough loss that we can bounce back from.
(In response to this post by hokiepro)
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RJHokie
2mo
umpiring for quite a while. I’ve seen a lot worse than her this season and in the ACC Tournament as well. The “cataract” ump was on third base yesterday. I’m glad we didn’t have any close calls there.
We had our chances yesterday and didn’t come through.
On to the regionals, whether we host or not.
(In response to this post by hokiepro)
2mo
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2mo
Strikes and not calling them just at the knees…again…until our last 2 batters
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Archdale
2mo
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RJHokie
2mo
Kylie isn’t physically able to play catcher on a continual basis though.
We need more good depth at that position.
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VT825
2mo
and athletes. I also think you know your stuff. Only quibble is with ump being female playing a role. I do not believe male umps pacify/oblige assertive male coaches - or female umps to female coaches. Go Hokies
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2mo
was the same color as fsu's uni's.
(In response to this post by VT825)
2mo
happens. I do however think favoring based on the team logo, ACC has proven this time and time again. I also think when you sre calling for the ACC pitcher of the year you are going to give her thr benefit of the doubt on calls.
(In response to this post by VT825)
2mo
This has always been the case for generally lesser-known under dog programs like Tech. They do NOT get the benefit of calls by umps or refs. There are myriad examples in our sports history. FSU was clearly getting the more favorable strike zone calls yesterday, but that is expected. Human bias towards the better known program, happens all the time.
And yes, Danny Coale caught that f-ing pass. And, the 100 year old ref from the PAC-12 that rules he did not, knew Michigan and not VT.....subliminal bias towards the well-known program.
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2mo
You best Michigan easily. Issue with VT in past simply we didn’t recruit good enough.
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2mo
It’s not outwardly intentional it’s learned brand bias. Oh..that must be a strike…she’s ACC pitcher of the year vs that looks a little low..she’s a Fr & probably missed
The crazy thing to me is the off speed pitches we often see go right down the middle called balls. It’s almost like the change ups fool the umps
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2mo
Out of respect I’ll take it down, but it’s not 100% false either. Coach Alameda is a class act and very well respected by all around the game. Humans have biases (yep me too)…just saying.
** Edited by hokiepro at 5/10/2026, 8:42:26 AM
(In response to this post by VT825)
2mo
I am so tired of reading all of the excuses by some of our fans in all sports. I played two sports at Tech years ago and my father is a VHSL HOF coach so I have been around athletics since birth. Yesterday, the ump’s strike zone was very tight both ways, we didn’t lose because of ball/strike calls. We lost because of 4BB, 2 passed balls, and an error in the first two innings. Sometimes, you just have to admit the other team was better than you on that day. Based on the way the game was played yesterday, FSU was the better team. I am just so tired of all the excuses by some members of our fanbase.
(In response to this post by hokiepro)
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GBOHokie
2mo
Alone make the split second decision to call a strike that is close enough to hose a team. Are there bad calls? Sure. Are we all tired of replays? Yep. Then trust the system and the fact there will be some human errors. If its super obvious, thats on Pete to challenge in the proper way. The UVA game Mazz was on. But also the way the ump was that day fit her pitching. The FSU girl yesterday had us seeing things we hadn’t. Even Addi went for things out of character. Two evenly matched teams. But I didn’t see officiating decide it.
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2mo
Was excellent throughout the ACC tourney- gave up 3 runs total! Agree no excuses we just lost… but the truth was our inability to get timely hits with runners on base !
(In response to this post by ForgeHokie)
2mo
getting behind in the count and ending up swinging at junk for an easy groundout. I read posters preaching of "patience" but if patience is taking called strikes early in the count, might as well swing.
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2mo
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2mo
walks! Serving up too many HRs!
This game is so easy. If they'd just do what the hindsighters said, they'd win every game!
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2mo
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2mo
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2mo
Seemed pretty even to me. They got their one big hit with a runner on. The unnecessary throw home and passed ball happened in the span of 2 pitches so…they were a pitch or two better? Guess what…we wouldn’t have walked 5 if she’d called those low strikes earlier. Or if she was consistent, we’d have had a couple more walks and top of our order would’ve had the chance they should’ve
It was a very well pitched and defended game for 99% of it both ways though. Just a thin margin difference. Rachel’s soft liner could’ve been a millimeter off the bat differently and we’d have had the lead, same with Kylie’s long foul.
So, better team? Not obvious. Not close to obvious who was better.
And congratulations to you on your athletic prowess. I started attending baseball and basketball games my father umpired and officiated when I was 4 years old. Played both. Saw lots of stuff. Was frankly always taught to respect the jobs of officials (my dad was one of them) how hard they were. Until there were enough bad apples who made comments to me as a player and a coach that I knew there were too often massive egos and agendas involved. Plenty of experience behind the scenes here too as I had access to D1 officials lockerrooms. Two things can be true…it’s a tough job very true. They make honest human mistakes also true. But the human side of it also brings in bias, ego and other things. Maybe if we had the automatic strike zone there would’ve been more called strikes in the game. But on a challenge system. If I was Pete at least two of the called strikes on Anni and the first one on Gaby would’ve been challenges won
** Edited by hokiepro at 5/10/2026, 7:44:04 AM
(In response to this post by ForgeHokie)
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VTCALS72
2mo
It does not matter nobody is perfect every angle is different and the umps view is THE one. It happens and I am sure that there are Duke and UVA fans somewhere complaining about the umps in those games too.
Bad calls or questionable calls are just a part of the game and out team just couldn't hit the ball yesterday. FSU pitchers just kept the ball down and were better than our hitters yesterday.
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nkhooch
2mo
and every AB, both sides? If not, you have biased your sample and drawn invalid conclusions.
** Edited by nkhooch at 5/10/2026, 4:16:45 AM
(In response to this post by hokiepro)
2mo
Noticed the zone was tight and she wasn’t calling the low strike. Both ways. Until she did. It was the inconsistency that was the problem. Especially in that situation.
I guarantee you if the situation was reversed and FSU took those pitches down 1 run bottom 7 they’re called balls.
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nkhooch
2mo
the plate calls to see if FSU hitters might have been put in tough positions because of inconsistent calls.
You are talking about two hitters. Good hitters, who get on base around 2 out of 5 times against the cumulative impact of ALL the pitching we faced this season. Much lower against pitching of that caliber. You cannot assume that those players would have gotten a hit or a walk if those calls had been different. Probability more than 50% they would not have
As had been the case for both teams all day.
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2mo
Rewatched most of it on TV recording; so yes I’ve seen every pitch at least once and many of them twice
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nkhooch
2mo
at every pitch to every hitter and considered the impact of a missed call.
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2mo
And picked up by the catcher to frame it because it’s out of the zone…yeah she’d have walked
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nkhooch
2mo
when officiating and league reviews always favor the team we are playing.
(In response to this post by hokiepro)
2mo
center field. She would call a nearly identical pitch a ball then come back with a strike. Thats ok to happen some but it was all game. Gabby and Anni had no choice but to take some of those swings because of the inconsistent zone. I am all for this discussion here because it is what passionate fans do. Now I do not want to hear this from our coach in a presser but this is part of a passionate fanbase.
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2mo
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2mo
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2mo
When they shouldn’t have had 2 strike counts
** Edited by hokiepro at 5/10/2026, 7:36:24 AM
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