Photo Credits: Sharon Dowdell
Selma, Alabama (Cascade Press)The benches and stands cleared on Tuesday, February 20, 2018 as the winless Selma College Bulldogs squared off against the Golden Tigers of Tuskegee University in historic Selma, Alabama.
The fight started after Tuskegee had defeated the Bulldogs 17-13 in the first of two games scheduled for that day.
Selma University’s baseball team came into the 2018 season ranked number nine in the HBCU preseason poll. While Tuskegee was ranked number seven in the same poll. Tuskegee came into the scheduled double hitter 1-9 on the year.
In the first game the Golden Tigers exploded behind a five RBI performance from Keldric Burton and stalwart pitching by Nytorious Cooler. According to our sources, this game was marred by profanity yelled at the Tuskegee players from the Selma players, coaches and fans.
According to several fans, at one point a Selma player stormed off the field after engaging a member of his coaching staff in a heated verbal altercation. Eye witnesses said on several occasions Selma players approached the Tuskegee dugout.
In the second game, the Bulldogs took an early lead and led 2-1 after four innings. Selma appeared poised to win their first game of the season. The sun was setting. The field does not have any lights. Therefore, the game could be called once it became too dark to play.
To secure the win all Selma had to do was to retire Tuskegee in the top of the fifth inning without giving up any runs and the game would have been an official game.
Here is where things get dicey. In the top of the fifth inning, a Tuskegee batter reached third base and tried to advance on a pass ball, but was tagged out at the plate. As the Tuskegee runner walked back to the Tuskegee dugout he was followed by the Selma catcher, who tagged him from behind pushing the Tuskegee runner onto the turf. It was a tense moment but nothing further transpired between the catcher and the baserunner.
When the next Tuskegee batter stepped into the batter’s box he was assaulted by the Selma catcher. Whereupon the two dugouts cleared and about 40 Bulldog fans ran onto the field to aid their baseball team in the fight against Tuskegee players.
It is not known if any of the Tuskegee players received any serious injuries from the fight.
The non-conference game was suspended with no indication given as to when or if it would be completed. Efforts to reach Tuskegee Coach Reggie Hollins for comment were unsuccessful. Neither the Tuskegee website nor the Selma website mentioned the second game of the double hitter.
Harold Michael Harvey is an American novelist and essayist. He is a Contributor at The Hill, SCLC National Magazine, Southern Changes Magazine and Black College Nines. He can be contacted at [email protected]