Baseball is a cruel, often unrewarding, game of inches. Both Alabama and Wake Forest saw that on Saturday afternoon as a pair of borderline calls led to game-changing home runs in the first game of the NCAA Super Regional.

In the top of the fourth inning, Alabama’s Dominic Tamez walked with two outs. After throwing the pitch, Wake Forest starter Rhett Lowder had already started toward the dugout. But upon returning to the mound, Lowder allowed a home run to Colby Shelton that tied the score at three apiece. The Demon Deacons would benefit from a call an inning later.

Similarly, with two outs in the bottom of the fifth, Alabama pitcher Luke Holman appeared to strike out Danny Corona on a ball in the dirt. Tide catcher Mac Guscette corralled the ball and tagged Corona, thinking the inning was over. But Corona was already looking at third base umpire Patrick Riley, who said Corona checked his swing. The next pitch? A go-ahead blast to right field.

One-seed Wake Forest wouldn’t trail again in the 5-4 final.

“When it happened live I thought he probably went,” Wake Forest coach Tom Walter said. “But nobody’s got a better view of it than the third-base umpire. These guys are in this game for a reason and they’re the best at what they do. So, again, I trust those guys to make big calls and get them right. I thought the home plate umpire was super consistent tonight. I thought he did a great job.”

Postgame, Corona admitted he swung on the ESPN broadcast. But the damage, on both sides, had been done. Alabama assistant coach Matt Reida was ejected from the game after complaining in the dugout. A couple of Tide players climbed on top of the bullpen wall in the outfield to chirp the umpires more as Reida left the field.

“Check swings are tough, man. Check swings are tough calls,” Alabama interim coach Jason Jackson said. “Those guys got a tough job on that. From where we’re at in the dugout I mean, he’s got a better view than I do. But from where we’re at, obviously, we thought it was strike three. It’s an emotional game, man. That’s a big swing and the next guy hits a home run. So, you know, emotions get the best of you, probably a little bit. But I don’t know. I thought he went. But that’s always a tough call for umpires. I get it.”

Jackson didn’t attribute the missed call to the loss. The Tide allowed three home runs, let another runner score on a wild pitch and put the winning run on base with an error in the sixth inning.

Game 2 will be at 11 a.m. CST at David F. Couch Ballpark.

Nick Alvarez is a reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @nick_a_alvarez or email him at [email protected].