Thanks for the feedback:
Because of the scheduling of this college look, the umpire rotation does not allow for a post game of any kind. The plate umpire after the game will leave the field to ungear while the base ump stays with another plate ump rotating in. The base ump will stays until the previous plate ump returns.
What I did end up doing was in between an inning, I casually mentioned to him that we 'were are team and while I disagreed with his interpretation i was not going to make an issue due to the tournament format.' I then suggested to him that it might be a good idea to brush up on dead ball territory awards when he got home that night. and left it at that.
Of course his retort was 'I have been doing this a long time and I know what I am doing'. Which I simply said 'okay' and then proceeded to take my position for the next inning.
Which brings up the 'situation' that was being discussed by the blues gathered, before the games that morning: (ASA ruleset)
1-2 count on the batter with 1 out. F1 pitches a legal pitch, but upon the release hits her hip with her pitching hand causing an 'errant' pitch (although legal) This pitch takes 1 bounce about 15 feet in front of the pitching rubber (aprox 28 feet from home plate) and continues in flight towards home plate. As the ball crosses home plate, B1 swings and misses the pitched ball. F2 catches the ball 'cleanly' after the swing and miss.
Is the D3K in effect?
The 'debate' for some, was that when the ball touched the ground, the pitch was not a 'strike' yet, so the D3K would not be in effect.
My ruling would have been that yes it is a D3K as the rule does not define 'when' a strike is called as a factor, but that the result of the pitch is a strike and the ball had touched the ground before being caught by F2.
thoughts?
(side bar: 'that' partner had no D3K because in his words 'the catcher caught the ball'
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