Nova file motion to resume Aquinas game – Sun Sentinel

An emergency injunction was filed Thursday challenging a call by officials that ended a high school baseball game early and gave a win to the team that had been trailing by one run.

Nova held a 5-4 lead over host St. Thomas Aquinas in the top of the seventh inning of their win-or-go-home regional semifinal on Tuesday night in Fort Lauderdale. Nova, the district runner-up after falling to Aquinas in the 15-7A title final, had two outs on the Raiders — until heavy rain delayed the contest for nearly 30 minutes.

After the storm passed, the officiating crew determined the soggy field had been rendered unplayable, thus the game, four outs shy of completion, could not be go the full seven innings. The call resulted in a reversal of fortunes for Nova, as officials awarded the victory to the Raiders, who had led 4-2 in the sixth inning.

The injunction, filed against the FHSAA in Broward circuit court, requests emergency judicial intervention that would require the game to be completed from where it was stopped in the seventh inning.

Scott Kleinman, of Kalis, Kleiman & Wolfe in Davie, where Nova High School is located, filed on behalf of the Titans, naming senior pitcher Vince Coletti as the team’s representative.

“This is a one-and-done situation and it is a playoff game,” Kleiman said Friday. “For the winner, you are a game away from the state semifinal. There’s a lot at stake to have it be decided on what we believe to be a misinterpretation with a rule.”

In the complaint, Kleiman argues the officiating crew did not follow FHSAA rules in deciding the game for Aquinas.

The FHSAA’s rule book does not stipulate guidelines for deciding the winner of a game suspended because of bad weather.

The association’s policies for baseball and for suspended contests follow procedures laid out in more detail by the National Federation of High Schools.

According to NFHS rules, if a game that has gone beyond five innings is called because of weather, the final score will be a reflection of the score at the time of the last completed inning.

Nova entered the seventh down by two, but an Austin Davis RBI-single trimmed Aquinas’ lead to 4-3. Jose Oliva then slapped a two-run home run, putting the Titans ahead 5-4 with two outs. The game was halted in the following at-bat.

FHSAA sports administrator Dale Klaus, who oversees baseball, did not respond to calls for comment.

Kleiman said he doesn’t expect a judge to be assigned to the case until Monday.

St. Thomas is scheduled to play Royal Palm Beach on Tuesday night in a Class 7A regional final.

St. Thomas coach Troy Cameron described the situation as “unfortunate,” saying, “The only thing we can do is get ready for Royal Palm Beach.”

Nova, which won consecutive state titles in 2004 and 2005, returned to the regional tournament this year after failing to reach the postseason in 2014. Nova opened regionals with a win over defending 7A champion Hialeah American.

Nova is still preparing in case a judge rules in its favor. Coach Pat McQuaid, whose postgame appeal to the FHSAA was denied on Wednesday, said his team has spent the last two days getting in a few practices. He said it has been hard for his team to practice with everything that’s going on.

“You have such an empty feeling. Did we win the game? Did we lose the game? We didn’t finish it,” McQuaid said. “I’d like the game to be won or lost on the field.”

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