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Please help with a funky rule interpretation. I saw this in a youth game where kids were playing with leading for the first time. A runner missed second base but did not advance to third and just kept his lead off of second through the next pitch on which he advanced to third without having ever touched second. My interpretation follows.
Pitch 1:
Runner on first. Batted ball put in play. Batter out at first. Runner from first does not touch second when rounding bag but does not advance to third. He just stays off the bag.
Is there an appeal here? I assume no because the runner has not failed to "touch each base in order". He has not advanced to third thus "missing" second. Even if an appeal at second is attempted, the runner returns to the bag and is safe.
7.10
Any runner shall be called out, on appeal, when_ (a) ... (b) With the ball in play, while advancing or returning to a base, he fails to touch each base in order before he, or a missed base, is tagged.
Pitch 2:
Runner has yet to touch second. He continues to keep his lead between pitches never touching second. Is he considered to have acquired second yet? I assume not, because he hasn't touched it. By 7.01 he has not yet acquired it.
7.01
A runner acquires the right to an unoccupied base when he touches it before he is out. He is then entitled to it until he is put out, or forced to vacate it for another runner legally entitled to that base. If a runner legally acquires title to a base, and the pitcher assumes his pitching position, the runner may not return to a previously occupied base.
On next pitch, he doesn't get it title to it officially because it would have had to have been appealable by 7.10 for him to have been awarded it by default.
On next pitch, ball put in play and runner advances to third. At this point the missing of second base can be appealed by 7.10 because the runner has now touched bases out of order.
Am I correct?
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