. 2 . . . A base hit is credited to a batter when he advances to first base safely:
a. because of his fair hit (rather than because of a fielder's error);
1. It is not a base hit if any runner is out on a force play caused by the batter advancing toward first base.
2. Base hits include any fair hit which cannot be fielded in time to throw out or tag out a batter-runner or any other runner when he is being forced to advance. Illustrations are: ball is stopped or checked by a fielder in motion who cannot recover in time, or ball moves too slowly; or ball is hit with such force to a fielder that neither he nor an *assisting fielder can handle it.
b. without liability of being put out because: a runner is declared out for being hit by the batted ball (8-4-2k), or the umpire is hit by a batted ball (8-1-2b), or
c. because of a fielder's choice (2-14-1) when a fielder attempts to put out another runner but is unsuccessful and the scorer believes the batter-runner would have reached first base even with perfect fielding.
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