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The
Ultimate Act
It
has been called “the
ultimate act in sportsmanship.....”
It
occurred in a college softball game on April 26 in
Ellensburg, WA, in which Western Oregon was facing
Central Washington in the second game of a double
header.
The game was scoreless when Western Oregon’s Sara
Tucholsky stepped to the plate in the top of the
second inning with two runners on base.
The first pitch was a called strike.
She swung at the second pitch and knocked it
over the center field fence!
This was Tucholsky’s first-ever homerun, and in her
jubilation, missed first base on her home run trot.
When she turned back to tag the base, her right
knee buckled. Instantly
in pain, she managed to crawl back to first base.
According
to Graham Hays, “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, [Western Oregon Coach]
Knox prepared to make the substitution, taking both
the run and the memory from Tucholsky.”
Then
Coach Knox was asked a question: “Excuse me. Would it be
OK if
WE carried her around and she touched each bag?”
The
one who asked the question was a member of the
opposing team: Central Washington senior and first
baseman, Mallory Holtman.
The
umpires huddled and ruled it to be legal, so Holtman
and Central Washington shortstop, Liz Wallace, lifted
Tucholsky off the ground, supported her weight between
them, and began to carry her around the bases.
They stopped at each of the remaining bases and
lowered Tucholsky, allowing her to gently tap the base
with her left foot.
The trio finally reached home plate – and
with a standing ovation from the fans – the homerun
hitter was passed into the arms of her own teammates.
Western
Oregon went on to win the game 4-2, but it is THIS
ultimate act of sportsmanship that will be remembered
most. *
The
selfless actions of Holtman and Wallace picture what
Jesus Christ wants to do for each of US: He wants
to carry us all the way home to heaven!
It’s not that we’ve hit a home run and then
injured ourselves along the way, the fact is we have
all “struck out” at the plate
(Romans 3:23)! Yet,
God loves us so much that He offers us forgiveness
through His Son Jesus and – through Him – the
opportunity to go Home.
Jesus
will forgive and “carry home” those who:
believe
in Him (Acts 16:30-31), turn from sin in repentance
(Acts 17:30-31), confess
Him before men (Rom 10:9-10), and are baptized
(immersed) into Christ for the forgiveness of sins
(Acts 2:38). He
will continue to “carry” those who continue to
walk in the light of His Word (1 John 1:7).
The
REAL ultimate act was done when Christ went to the
cross to pay the price for our sins (Ephesians 1:7),
enabling us – by His grace – to go home to heaven.
Will
YOU allow Him to carry
you home through your trusting obedience?
--
David
A. Sargent,
Minister
Church
of Christ at Creekwood
1901
Schillinger Rd. S.
Mobile, Alabama 36695
*
Information gleaned from “Central Washington Offers the Ultimate Act of
Sportsmanship” by Graham Hays, ESPN.com --
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/columns/story?id=3372631
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