Davison County sheriffs called to baseball game

MOUNT VERNON — Fans at the Mount Vernon-Plankinton-Woonsocket high school baseball doubleheader against Vermillion Monday in Mount Vernon witnessed a coach and a fan get into an altercation midway through the first game.

After a pickoff attempt by a Vermillion pitcher, Outlaws head coach Derrion Hardie, who was at third base, reacted and questioned the umpires’ decision to not call a balk.

A fan from Vermillion — standing near the first-base dugout —responded to Hardie’s plea and the two began to yell across the field at each other.

The situation seemed to defuse when Outlaws’ batter Kellam Karst fouled a bunt-attempt with two strikes for an out.

The fan mocked Hardie’s decision to call for the bunt-attempt, and Hardie became outraged, walking through the playing field toward the fan. The two argued through a fence that separated the field from the stands.

Hardie told the fan to leave, but the fan refused, saying that as a coach, Hardie had no authority to make that decision.

Hardie asked for someone to call 911 and have the fan leave the facility. The field umpire then told Hardie to walk away and asked the fan to sit down. The fan agreed, although never sat down but was not heard from again.

Shortly after the situation, Davison County Chief Deputy Steve Brink and officers Ben Gant and Timothy Reitzel arrived at the field.

“Everything was calmed down when we got there,” Brink said. “Everything was cooled off. I didn’t even write a report. Just two people didn’t agree with what was going on.”

Brink spoke with the fan about the incident and made sure there were no more altercations.

“We did do some sanctions,” Brink said. “I made the one actor go sit in his pickup and go watch the rest of the game. I think the coach and bystander got into a verbal argument, I don’t know exactly for sure what happened.”

The Daily Republic was unable to reach Hardie for comment.

Vermillion swept the doubleheader, taking the first game 4-2 and the second game 8-4.

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