This High School Team Thought It Won the State Championship on a Walk-Off Walk, But the Batter Didn't Go to First Base and They Lost in Extra Innings

I don't know if this makes Rory McIlroy feel any better, but at least he only found the second-most brutal way to lose a championship in the United States this weekend.

Mount Abraham had won the Vermont Division II state championship if what should have been the last batter of the game had just touched first base after drawing a bases loaded walk that should have ended it. Instead, he went straight to his teammates off to the side of home plate and joined the celebration for 30 seconds before making an effort to go touch the bag. He was ruled out for leaving the baseline, the game went to extra innings and Mount Abraham eventually lost 7-6, giving the state title to Middlebury.

This is honestly one of the worst ways I've ever seen to lose anything. If you go up there down a run with the bases loaded and two outs and you strike out, at least the other guy was just better than you and got you out. That happens. But having the game already won and losing it because you got caught up in the celebration and forgot to go tap first base is brutal.

It sucks that this is how the game ended, but rules are rules at the end of the day. I'm 1 percent more inclined to say the umpires should have let this go than if the runner coming home hadn't touched the plate, but then you're just drawing an arbitrary line at what bases players have to touch and which they don't. Rules are rules.

I feel terrible for that kid, though. That's a tough way to end a season.