Quote:
Originally Posted by youngump
Two: - She hits the catcher with her follow-through swing
I haven't had time to break out my rule book yet this year (it's on the nightstand for hopefully tonight), but I thought there was a rule that if no play is being made, this is just a dead ball? Is that only for hitting the ball out of the glove, or am I confusing it with something else?
|
Here's the actual case book play:
"
7.4.4 SITUATION D: With R1 on third and R2 on first base, B3 swings and does not make contact with the ball. On her follow-through, the bat comes around and inadvertently knocks the ball out of the catcher's glove. The ball rolls up the line; R1 scores and R2 advances to second base.
RULING: Batter interference is called since the ball was in the catcher’s glove; the act does not have to be intentional. B3 is out, the ball is dead and all runners return to the last base touched at the time of the interference."
So the case play says nothing about the runners advancing at the time of the pitch (e.g., R2 is stealing second). I get the impression that no play was going on when the batter knocked the ball out of the catcher's glove. I would have called Dead Ball, no Interference, and the runners return to their bases. But that's not what NFHS wants called here.
And since the case play specifically points out that the ball was in the catcher's glove, perhaps they feel differently if the ball was loose and the bat hits it on the follow-through. I guess in that situation, the batter cannot be faulted for contacting a pitch that the catcher failed to secure, and that would be cause to just ruling Dead Ball, runners return.