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Irish,
Now I never said the umpires who wouldn't make that call are the experienced ones. I've worked quite a few 2 man crew HS softball games with umpires who don't have a lot of experience, and would likely not make that call based upon my impressions of how they might call a game, i.e., gained thru conversation.
I've also had the good fortune to work a few games with some very experienced umpires. In one of those games, such a BU called INT on a R2 who ran in front of F6 on a slowly hit grounder. As I recall F6 did miss the ball but it seemed to me that though F6 may have been visually blocked from the ball momentarily, she had time to re-find the ball after R2 passed her. When my BU partner called her out, I took notice of that call and have always wondered how many other good experienced umpires would make the same call.
Irish, I see your point, but I think in the end I come down with R2 can't take F6's eyes away a split second before the bouncing ball reaches F6, even if she's simply trying to get to third base. To me, that is "hindering" because F6 has no chance to field that ball unless her glove just happens to be exactly where the ball is.
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