That's been the rule the whole time I've worked Utrip, which is running about 10 years now. I know there were some serious quirks back in the days I played some Utrip (and that was about 15 years ago or so), but I don't remember the running the bases with the bat. Of course, if I'd known that was permissible when I was playing, I would have been banned for life because I would have used it for ulterior motives.