[Andy]

Last night....HS Varsity game. I'm PU.

Top of the 6th, R1 on third, R2 on second, 1 out. Score is V-5, H-2.
B3 hits fly ball to left field, ball is caught for out #2.
R1 and R2 tag up and attempt to advance on the catch.

Throw from F7 is high and away from F2, as F2 reaches to try to catch the throw, R1 slides into home and contacts F2s ankle, my left arm goes out for OBS, but that does not figure into the play. R1 scores, F2 goes down with an injured ankle. The ball is rolling around near the backstop, I look to third and see R2 being waved home. F1 retrieves ball and starts running toward the plate to tag R2. F2 is still laying on the ground in the vicinity of home plate, R1 is tangled with F2 and is still laying on the ground partially covering home. I see F1 jump over her F2 and tag R2 before she gets to the plate. With all of the other players in the area on the ground, I am looking for any OBS or INT violations, but don't see anything that can be called. After the out is called, R1, still on the ground, rolls over and makes an agressive move to push F2 away, she did not actually push her, but would have, given the opportunity. I stepped in between the players immediately to stop that from escalating.

After I call the out, the head coach from the offensive team (she is coaching at first base) comes down to the plate and starts telling me that F1 dropped the ball during the tag and another defensive player picked it up. I did not see that at all, probably because my focus went to R1 and her aggressive move toward F2. I tell the coach that I did not see the ball droppped and I have an out. She tells me the same thing again, even says "your partner saw it". She never once asked me to get help, which I would have done immediately.

While this is going on, the defensive coach comes out to check on his catcher who is still down. The defense leaves the field, believing that they have made the required three outs to end the inning. F2 has hurt her ankle pretty badly so it takes about ten minutes to get her taken care of and helped off of the field. During this time, my partner and I are standing away from the injured player comparing notes and making sure we are on the same page with the game situation. I hear the coach from the offensive team ask one of the coaches from the defensive team if the ball was dropped at the plate and the defensive coach answer that yes, the ball was dropped.

Here's the fun part......as F2 is being helped off of the field, the offensive coach comes up to me and says....."I think the ball was dropped at the plate, can you check with your partner to see if he saw that?" I ask my partner and he confirms that the ball was dropped. I reverse my out call and score the second run. We now have two outs, no runners on base. I inform the defensive coach of my ruling and he asks me "are you going to allow that appeal this late?" I tell him that we have not yet had another pitch, so I will allow the request for help. He says "Ok, lets just play".

Questions - was the initial conversation with the coach appropriate? in other words, should I have gone to my partner for help on the dropped ball with out the coach directly asking me to?

Once the coach finally did ask the right question (check with your partner, please) was it appropriate to do so after the long delay?
In our post game, my partner said that since the defense left the field, I should not have requested help that late. My response was that it was not an appeal play and that condition would not apply.

I'm interested in your opinions and comments on not only the specific questions but on the entire play as well.