The frustration of losing the close ones is getting to the Auckland Tuatara.
The second-year Australian Baseball League franchise suffered another heartbreaking loss on Thursday night, pipped by the Canberra Calvary 7-5 at Auckland's North Harbour Stadium.
The defeat marks the fifth time this season the Tuatara have fallen short by two runs or less, leaving them with the league's worst record of one win, eight losses.
But tempers boiled over, with two members of the club ejected, after a contentious strikeout call against shortstop Josh Morgan.
Morgan and manager Steve Mintz were thrown out by umpire Josh Weschler in the bottom of the sixth inning with the score tied at 5-5.
Morgan vented his frustration on strike three, after a pitch that appeared to be inside the plate. The American had a brief conversation with the umpire, before receiving his marching orders. Mintz was irate that he had lost his star import and argued heatedly with Weschler, before he was also ejected.
Moments later, Calvary took the decisive two-run lead.
Mintz had criticised New Zealand umpires during the 3-1 series loss to Perth Heat last month, believing they were terrified of showing any Kiwi bias. Again, on Thursday night, the Tuatara's strike zone appeared bigger than their opposition and Morgan hit his breaking point.
The loss was even more devastating, given the fight the Tuatara showed, after ace pitcher Kyle Glogoski gave up four runs in the first four innings.
But a five-run fourth inning had the home side in front, courtesy of runs batted in by Johnny Homza and Jared Walker.
The Calvary tied the scores in their sixth turn at bat, before Morgan's ejection came with the Tuatara holding runners at second and third with one out.
Tucker Nathan gave the visitors the lead in the top of the final frame with a two-run homer to lock up the result, after Tuatara failed to make any offensive impact in their final inning.
The battling ball club will welcome Texas Rangers prospect Yonny Hernandez in Auckland on Friday. The shortstop is likely to enter the starting lineup for Game Two of the series, just hours after stepping off the plane.
