Two Runners, One Base - Rules & Situation Handling Review

Two Duluth baserunners found themselves standing on the same base during a Northwoods League game at Rochester when the catcher tagged both players. The third base umpire declared one of them out, but rather than call the other out as well when he stepped off the base, incorrectly believing he was out, the play was declared dead. What happened?

With runners on second and third base and one out, the batter hits an infield ground ball, resulting in a rundown as lead/preceding baserunner R3 becomes stuck between home and third base. The defense runs R3 back to third base, where R2, having advanced, is now standing. The catcher tags both R2 and R3 while both runners are in contact with third base. As the umpire declares R2 out, R3 steps off the base (incorrectly believing he was out), resulting in yet another tag by the catcher.

Although the umpire initially called "Time" instead of calling R3 out for being tagged while off of a base, the crew convened to discuss the play, correctly opting to reverse the erroneous "Time" call and declare R3 out, resulting in an inning-ending double play.

Tmac takes us through the game management sequence that follows, including discussing the outcome of the play with the aggrieved manager. The relevant rule is Official Baseball Rule 5.06(a)(2): "Two runners may not occupy a base, but if, while the ball is alive, two runners are touching a base, the following runner shall be out when tagged and the preceding runner is entitled to the base, unless Rule 5.06(b)(2) applies" (OBR 5.06(b)(2) simply states that if there is a FORCE PLAY wherein the trailing runner [R2 in this scenario] is forced to advanced by the virtue of the batter becoming a runner, then the TRAILING RUNNER [R2] would be entitled to the base and R3 would be out of if tagged while in simultaneous contact with the bag while R2 was standing on it).

Video as follows:

Alternate Link: Inning-ending double play results when two runners are tagged at 3B (CCS)