Something unusual happened Friday night near the end of the game between the New Orleans Privateers and Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils college baseball teams. It’s become clique to criticize umpires for bad calls on balls and strikes, of course, but this is something you really have to see to believe.

“The Lead” sports blog set up the scene this way:

In the top of the ninth, Valley State was down 7-3 and attempting to put away New Orleans so they could try to rally in the bottom of the frame. They were aided in this effort by two called strikes that, uh, were not strikes.

To call out the first pronouncement by the ump as mistaken is fair enough. But the second call, which made it a strikeout, was even worse. It was so bad that the catcher tried to soothe the opposing team’s batter, Davon Mims, who was clearly flustered.

Sports Illustrated:

A pitch later, the umpire wrung Mims up on a pitch that was inarguably low and away—so egregiously so that Privateers catcher Jorge Tejeda ran to calm an irate Mims down after the game ended.

Watch:

Tempers flared after the strikeout call that ended the Miss. Valley St.-New Orleans game.

Do you agree with the call? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/x6risaNisk

— ESPN (@espn) March 11, 2023

Now, be honest: do those pitches look like strikes to you?