[JRutledge]

Was the pitch a fastball or curve ball/off-speed pitch? I know that would matter to me.

Unless the batter turned to make themselves bigger or more likely to get hit, I am pretty much going to award first based on any pitch.

From my understanding the rules on this issue are pretty much the same at all levels. The rule is very similar in the NCAA ranks and the NCAA dealt with this issue in their 2006 Rules tape.

No batter can just allow the ball to hit them. You just do not see many NCAA or pro games where batters are purposely trying to get hit for a couple of reasons. The ball his thrown a lot harder and might do some damage when the ball hits you. Also the reaction time is less on a faster pitch. In HS the ball is thrown much slower and you are lucky if some of these batters can get up to the mid 80s let alone in the 90s.

This is a judgment call. If you feel the batter knew he was going to get hit and purposely got hit, then that is where you might enforce this rule. If the batter was trying to avoid injury and moving away from a bad pitch, then give them first. From your description it sounds like the batter did nothing wrong. The only way I might keep the batter in the batter's box is if the pitch was a very slow he did everything to get hit by the pitch. Do not penalize a batter because the pitcher does not know how to execute.

Peace