Amazing display of sportsmanship

I found this on another forum, but don't have the link to the actual story yet.

http://www.packerforum.com/index.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&p=232781#2327 81
Sportsmanship is alive and well, at least in Portland Oregon. Western Oregon University was hosting Central Washington University in a softball game for a playoff spot. Sara Tucholsky from Western Oregon, hit a home run, her first ever, but as she rounded first base she collapsed with a knee injury. She crawled back to first base and couldn't continue. Rules state that no players or coaches can assist a player on their own team. Two members from Central Washington, Mallory Holtman, and Liz Ashworth went out and asked the umpire if they could assist her. It's not against the rules, so they lifted her up and helped her around the bases, stopping at each base so Sara could touch the base with her good foot.

Sara's injury is a probable torn ligament and her season is over, but thanks to the help from opponents, Western Oregon went on to win 4-2 and secure a spot in the conference play-offs. Central Washington was eliminated.

http://espn-i.starwave.com/media/app...e9363c9ebb.jpg

Found the link
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/columns/story?columnist=hays_graham&id=3372631

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While she was doubling back to tag first base, Tucholsky's right knee gave out. The two runners who had been on base already had crossed home plate, leaving her the only offensive player on the field of play, even as she lay crumpled in the dirt a few feet from first base and a long way from home plate. First-base coach Shannon Prochaska -- Tucholsky's teammate for three seasons and the only voice she later remembered hearing in the ensuing conversation -- checked to see whether she could crawl back to the base under her own power.

As Knox explained, "It went through my mind, I thought, 'If I touch her, she's going to kill me.' It's her only home run in four years. I didn't want to take that from her, but at the same time, I was worried about her."

Umpires confirmed that the only option available under the rules was to replace Tucholsky at first base with a pinch runner and have the hit recorded as a two-run single instead of a three-run home run. Any assistance from coaches or trainers while she was an active runner would result in an out. So without any choice, Knox prepared to make the substitution, taking both the run and the memory from Tucholsky.

"And right then," Knox said, "I heard, 'Excuse me, would it be OK if we carried her around and she touched each bag?'"

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That's pretty cool that they did that for her

You don't deserve to hit a home run if you can't make it around the bases afterward.

Honestly, how do you get injured running the bases after hitting a home run?

That's true sportsmanship alright.

Well done by those to girls of the opposing team

"Mr" wrote:

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You don't deserve to hit a home run if you can't make it around the bases afterward.

Honestly, how do you get injured running the bases after hitting a home run?

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Dude - I really expect more from you than this.

=Z=

"NodakPaul" wrote:

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Found the link
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/columns/story?columnist=hays_graham&id=3372631

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Read about that in the STrib this morning.
Very cool.

=Z=

That sucks. You hit your first home run and she had that happen. I feel bad for her because I bet she was so excited.

"Zeus" wrote:

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"Mr" wrote:

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You don't deserve to hit a home run if you can't make it around the bases afterward.

Honestly, how do you get injured running the bases after hitting a home run?

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Dude - I really expect more from you than this.

=Z=

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http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/24392612/

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Her home run sent Western Oregon to a 4-2 victory, ending Central Washington’s chances of winning the conference and advancing to the playoffs.

“In the end, it is not about winning and losing so much,” Holtman said. “It was about this girl. She hit it over the fence and was in pain, and she deserved a home run.”

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http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/columns/story?columnist=hays_graham&id=3372631

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But it was what happened after an overly excited Tucholsky missed first base on her home run trot and reversed direction to tag the bag that proved unforgettable.

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I don't know, I guess girls play differently than I do, but if I'm risking playoff elimination and I can choose to be down one run or two, I'm taking the one run deficit every single time.

Sure it's a great thing they did for the girl, but circling the bases is part of hitting a home run, otherwise the batter would just sit back down on the bench and they'd count the runs. If you can't complete the home run, it's not a home run. Again, good for those other girls being that nice to her, but I would not have done that. They say "It was about this girl," I'm more concerned about my own team and winning the game than one player getting injured on the opposing team.

And from the ESPN article "But it was what happened after an overly excited Tucholsky missed first base on her home run trot and reversed direction to tag the bag that proved unforgettable."
What does overly excited mean? Celebrating? Jumping? Later in the article it says that the two runners on base had already crossed home before her injury occurred, what took her so long to get to first? A little showboating, maybe. However, they don't mention that, neither does the other team. So probably not, but it still says she was overly excited, that doesn't sound very sportsmanlike. Maybe this was a Bill Gramatica situation?

Remember Leon Lett? Cowboy DT I believe, recovered a fumble in the 1993 Super Bowl against the Bills and was returning it for a TD, got inside the five slowed down and a Bills player stripped the ball.

Poor Leon Lett probably never scored a touchdown in his life, did the Bills let him score? Hell no, and why should they? Why should any team sacrifice their own chance at victory? You play to win the game.

I've always believed in good sportsmanship, but have never put it above the scoreboard, I want to win. I want to beat the man in front of me, in sports winning is everything. Respecting your opponents comes second. You can be nice to them after you beat them, you can even help them up after you put them on their ass. Sportsmanship is about respect, not being nice.

Herman Edwards said it best, "You play to win the game."