It’s a cool autumn evening and the street lights are just lighting up. Five young boys are playing in the baseball diamond, and suddenly the sound of the crack of a wooden bat as it hits the baseball invades the peacefulness.

After his base hit, young Jeremy Heffernan is running around the base paths, trying to get home and win the game for his team. The pitcher, Eric Bibler, is wiping his brow and watching outfielder Eric Shipley throw the ball to home plate.

Jeremy slides into home and the catcher, Jason Baas, tags him out. Or does he? Jeremy’s teammate Ethan Dix comes running up, saying that he is sure Jeremy was safe.

Furthermore, pitcher Eric Bibler runs up and says that Jeremy is out, but Jeremy is sure he was safe. A 2-2 tie and Eric Shipley rather dejectedly runs up, afraid that his great throw may not count.

Eric’s teammates hound him, asking him if he saw the play. Eric didn’t see the play and he knows there is only one thing he can say, “Do over.”

Fast forward to two weeks ago.

The setting is Charlottesville, Virginia and the fans are cheering the Cavaliers to play hard and win the game. Duke and Virginia are playing a nasty down-to-the-last-second game.

With five seconds left, Norman Nolan of the Cavaliers is fouled and goes to the line. He misses the first free throw, but nails the second and the Cavaliers have a one point lead.

Willie Dersch, a Cavalier attempts to clock into the game, but even though the horn blows the referees don’t hear it and play resumes. The big problem is Hersch is standing in the way of the timekeeper and as Duke brings the ball up the floor, no time is being taken off the clock.

Finally, when Steve Wojciechowski nears Duke’s three point line, the clock starts the countdown. Wojciechowski gets near the bucket, finds an open shot and is … fouled. Well, by now what was known by anyone watching this on T.V. is now obvious to the referees that there was a problem with the time clock.

The referees watch countless times to see that if the time clock were truly running correctly, Wojciechowski’s shot would have counted anyway.

Wojciechowski goes to the line and nails both free throws giving the Blue Devils a one point lead. With a whole .7 of a second left, the Cavaliers attempt to take a final shot, but the result is futile.

Now, comes the questions about what would have happened if the time clock had run correctly.

Would Wojciechowski been fouled if the Cavaliers knew how much time was left? Perhaps the player who fouled Wojciechowski thought that there was plenty of time left to get a shot off rather than leave Wojciechowski the open shot.What if Dersch had come in? Would the defensive replacement have made the winning difference?

Finally, what if Wojciechowski’s shot was late, and the referees had to call the foul off and give the victory to the Cavaliers? Would that be fair for Duke?

The whole situation sounds like a “do over.”

CADE REMSBURG is a senior in journalism and mass communication from Ames.