"A trip that truly touched them all"

I meant to post this story this weekend, I just got a little sidetracked.

If you haven't yet heard the story of Sara Tucholsky and Mallory Holtman, then please indulge in the full detailed, column-version of one of the greatest acts of sportsmanship ever reported.

If you don't feel like reading this all, please watch this video. It's amazing. Not gonna lie--I got a little welled up.




The shorter version of the article is that 5-foot-2 Tucholsky, a senior softball player at Western Oregon, had never hit a homerun in her entire career. But when her team met with conference rival Central Washington in the second part of a double header Saturday, the part-time starter and unlikely hero jacked a three-run shot over the wall in center field, launching her to team in an eruption of high fives and celebration.

Except Tucholsky, in all her glory, missed first base during her homerun trot. She turned to correct her misstep and doubled over to the ground as her right knee gave out and her ACL tore.

The Western Oregon coaches knew that they couldn't touch Tucholsky or the play would be called dead, the hit would be recorded as a two-run single and the senior's first--and only--home run of her career would be taken away.

But a compassionate offer from the competition allowed Tucholsky to touch 'em all: Central Washington's Holtman, who holds almost every hitting record at the school and has seen her fair share of HRs, asked the umpire if she and the CW shortstop could carry Tucholsky around the bases.

"Honestly, it's one of those things that I hope anyone would do it for me. She hit the ball over her fence. She's a senior. It's her last year...I think anyone who knew that we could touch her would have offered to do it, just because it's the right thing to do. She was obviously in agony."--Mallory Holtman.

The girls supported Tucholsky as they inched along the basepath to touch every base and scored the third run. Holtman's team rallied with two runs later in the game, which--had Tucholsky not scored--would have been enough to tie the game, but Western Oregon held on to the win.

If you want to see the event in action, watch the above embedded video.

An umpire later confirmed that the rule in question was misinterpreted on the field after Tucholsky's injury and later clarified by the NCAA. According to the rule book: "If an injury to a batter-runner or runner prevents her from proceeding to an awarded base, the ball is dead and the substitution can be made. The substitute must legally touch all awarded or missed bases not previously touched."

But no one at the time knew that, making this a completely selfless act that has deservedly received a lot of national attention and praise. Ahh, lots of warm fuzzies.


*Thanks, Stace