So it was yesterday as Germantown Academy volunteered to surrender a stirring Inter-Ac League baseball victory collected Tuesday, in part, with the help of a rules violation.

Throughout the sixth and seventh innings of a 4-2 win at Malvern Prep, GA coach John Duffy switched lefty Colin Kish and righty Slater McCue, batter by batter (eight guys in all), between the mound and first base.

Plate ump Terry Spratt OK'd the strategy and Malvern coach Mike Hickey never filed a protest.

Jim Fenerty, GA's athletic director, learned of the illegality early yesterday morning and the decision to offer a partial replay was made by lunchtime. It will take place May 20.

"We want to send the right message to our kids," Fenerty said. "It was great to win that game, but you don't want wins with a cloud over them. The umps and other people should have known the rule was being violated; there was nothing intentional on John's part. Now we have the chance to make things right."

The Inter-Ac follows National Federation rules for baseball. A pitcher who switches to a regular position is allowed to return to the mound only once per inning. With two away in the sixth, Kish returned for the second time with Chris Cowell on third and Rob McCabe on first.

Dennis Mitchell (he fanned) will be at bat for the resumption.

GA will be leading, 4-2. Their league records are again 7-0 for Malvern and 5-1 for GA; they're among the area's very best teams.

The I-A's athletic directors met yesterday about other matters and Fenerty said he brought up the baseball situation as the confab wound down.

"The group didn't feel it should address the situation," Fenerty said. "They left it up to Kurt [Ruch, Malvern's AD] and me. I'd talked about it with [GA's administration]. They were on board with it."

Gene Otto, who assigns umpires for the I-A, will talk with Duffy and Hickey to determine parameters for the resumption.

"Overall, I'm not for this," Otto said. "I'm worried that it sets a dangerous precedent in that Malvern didn't protest at the time. But I do respect the Inter-Ac guys' right to do what they feel is necessary since they're off by themselves and don't have to answer to [a governing body such as the PIAA]."

In a nonleague game: