WEATHERFORD, Texas – A Texas junior college pitcher was suspended Thursday for four games after he tackled an opposing player who hit a home run the previous day.
Owen Woodward, a sophomore pitcher at Weatherford College, was suspended by the North Texas Junior College Athletic Conference after he tackled Josh Phillips, who was rounding third base to give North Central Texas College a lead in the sixth inning of Wednesday’s game, KHOU-TV reported.
Phillips, a freshman, was suspended for two games after he was ejected for taunting, according to KTRK-TV.
Online video of the play showed Woodward, a 6-foot-3, 195-pounder who was also a quarterback and linebacker at Breckenridge High School, throwing down his glove and sprinting off the mound to spear Phillips, who weighs 225 pounds, with a tackle to his midsection, KHOU reported. Phillips was able to regain his feet and eventually touched home plate, KTRK reported.
Phillips leads North Central Texas College with a .331 batting average with seven home runs and 31 RBI, the Houston Chronicle reported. He was celebrating with his third-base coach as he turned toward home plate, according to ESPN.
It was unclear what was said between the two players that might have ignited the brawl.
The game, which was the opener of a scheduled doubleheader, was suspended and play did not resume, according to Bleacher Report. Both teams were ordered to forfeit the game. The game was played in Weatherford, a city located about 30 miles west of Fort Worth, according to the Chronicle.
“We are shocked and disappointed at what happened in our game today,” Weatherford coach and assistant athletic director Jeff Lightfoot said in a statement. “We do not condone this type of behavior. We have worked hard to build a program with the highest of standards. We are completely embarrassed by this incident, and we apologize to North Central Texas College and the fans of WC baseball. This type of behavior cannot be tolerated.”
The league office handed out most of its punishment for the North Central Texas program because of players who ran onto the field after the hit, according to The Associated Press.
“All team members for NCTC that were in the dugout or bullpen” and any assistant coaches who stepped onto the field were suspended, the AP reported. The league also suspended four additional Weatherford players and assistant coaches for two games.
The school said the Weatherford College Police Department is investigating the case, and Woodward faces possible expulsion, according to Bleacher Report.
