That's Fit

I dare you to read this story without getting choked up.

Throughout their high school and college careers, student-athletes are told over and over again that sportsmanship is important. That's why, in many sports, the athletes and coaches shake hands before and after each game. However, what happened at a Central Washington University softball game is the greatest display of sportsmanship I've ever heard.

The game, versus Western Oregon, would decide whether Central would keep their Division II playoff hopes alive -- it was the second game of a double header, the first of which Western had already won. In the second inning, 5'2" senior right fielder Sara Tucholsky stepped up to bat with two runners on, and did something she'd never done before, not even in practice -- she hit a home run.

Elated, she sprinted to first base and rounded it, but as she did so, she realized she hadn't actually made contact with the bag. She turned to go back and felt an enormous pain as her knee gave out, and she collapsed right there on the base path.

The rules stated that she could not be helped around the bases by her teammates, and the officials' understanding was that a runner could be subbed, but only a single would count -- Sara's one and only home run would be erased. And that's when Mallory Holtman, the greatest softball player ever to play for Central, came up with an idea -- she asked if there were any rules prohibiting the opposing team from helping Sara complete her homer.

There were no objections, so in an act of incredible compassion, Mallory and teammate Liz Wallace carried their opponent around the bases to complete the home run that would end up winning the game for Western Oregon. As they came to home base, all three realized that the entire Western Oregon bench, and most of the fans, were in tears.

When we explain sportsmanship to student athletes, examples like these are priceless. These teams and all the fans in attendance will never forget this home run, and neither will I.