This happened to me several years ago. Pitch came in high and inside, batter made a check swing turning her shoulders forward blocking the PU. Ball hit her on the wrist. He called a foul ball. Base coach started yelling the ball hit her. There was a runner in first so I was toward second base; my partner asked me across the field “Did the pitch hit her?” I held up my right hand and tapped my wrist with my left fingers saying “yes it hit her.” The base coach started saying she gets to go to first when the defensive coach started complaining she swung at the pitch. Again my partner asked “did she go?” I gave the hammer sign and said “Yes”. The base coach asked “she still get first doesn’t she?” “No coach, it is a dead ball and a strike.” I think your partner sets the tone, if he asked you across the field you give him the answer across the field. If he wants to talk in private then get together and talk. Of course if there was something that needed to be said in private I would walk over.