Hmm, mcrowder. I think it is interesting that you absolutely read this as allowing all the runs to score. I still think it's a grey area, but I'm a stickler for details.
The baseball rule book does a much better job of clarifying the walkoff home run than the softball rulebook. (It says the game ends on a walkoff homer when the batter-runner touches home plate.)
Just to play devil's advocate, let's amend the situation: Score tied 5-5 in the bottom of the seventh. Two runners on base. Batter hits the ball over the left fielder's head but it stays in the ballpark. The left fielder knows his team has lost the game and doesn't bother to chase the ball. Both runners on base and the batter-runner all circle the bases for the heck of it. If you were to liberally interpret the "full seven innings NEED NOT be played" aspect of the rule I mentioned, one could argue that all three runs should score on this play. Now, I don't think a typical umpire or scorekeeper would actually count these runs, but you can see how the vagueness might create some doubt.
Personally, I'd like to see all doubt removed by having SOftball Canada rules specifically address the "walkoff home run" scenario.
Last edited by John Robertson; Fri Aug 25, 2006 at 09:56am.
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