|
FORCE OUT: An out which may be made only when a runner loses the right to the base that the runner is occupying because the batter becomes a batter-runner, and before the batter-runner or a trailing runner has been put out.
8.1. THE BATTER BECOMES A BATTER-RUNNER
C. When four balls have been called by the umpire. The batter-runner is awarded first base
Effect
4. (Co-ed) The ball is dead. A walk to a male batter will result in a two base award. The next batter (a female) shall bat.
Don't disagree this doesn't seem right, but would it be a force out the runner started on 1B and missed 2B on the way to 3B? If so, what's the difference? Remember, we are only talking about a player forced to vacate a base and not touching the base to which she is forced.
As Dave said, it is the way the rule is written and I don't think it would be wrong to treat this as a force. Especially since a protest would have the weight of the rule behind it.
__________________
The bat issue in softball is as much about liability, insurance and litigation as it is about competition, inflated egos and softball.
|