[AtlUmpSteve]

Originally Posted by chapmaja

I think the situation is actually very simple. The umpires, who likely have not faced this type situation at the college level, kicked the call. The scorer had to put something in the scorebook, and since it can't count as an intentional walk since 4 pitches were not delivered, found the only thing they could think of to indicate the award of first base without the 4 pitches being delivered. NCAA scoring rules, IIRC, require the count to be listed on the play by play, so you can't have a walk with B-B. I think this was a scorer trying to go on the fly with a situation nobody has even seen. I've never seen this, nor have I ever heard of this happening at any level, let alone the highest level of college softball.

Originally Posted by Jake26

Steve? This was a Super Regional, so you would think ... . But it could be that simple. And if the sequence should not have been allowed, then yes, the scorekeeper has to manufacture something out of thin air.

Originally Posted by MD Longhorn

Are we really thinking that where the umpire forgot that this penalty would not apply during an intentional walk, but the SCOREKEEPER did? Um, no.

If this was not an intentional walk - the penalty of a ball would apply - saying the scorekeeper would invent HBP instead of simply logging the 4 balls (2 thrown, 2 penalty) as a walk ... I have no words for that.

I cannot pull this replay up; get error 303 or something. So going with what has been stated as fact.

I can believe that the PU didn't react to this according to the EFFECT; if not questioned by the OC, it could have easily slipped by. And even if U1 or U3 knew it wasn't handled properly, who wants to be the crew member that calls out your PU on a national broadcast? IMO, there was no way in he!! that scorekeeper knew the EFFECT for this situation, and refused to call it a walk; I've been umpiring 40+ years and have never seen it happen. And couldn't honestly tell you I would have jumped out with that answer in that short moment, either.

I know of no quirk in the rules nor the NCAA scoring rules that explain why this was recorded as HBP. BUT, let's also remember that NCAA institutions are required to use the NCAA approved program, and it is the one converted from baseball, that doesn't track illegal pitches, just "balks" when a runner is awarded an advance on an illegal pitch. My point is that the scorekeeper may well have wanted to put B-B*-B-B*, but that the software simply couldn't handle it.

Personally, I suspect I would have simply recorded B-B-B-B, unless there is some unknown program rule saying to call it HBP; but that certainly doesn't track with the NCAA's never-ending search for absolute statistical accuracy. After all, we are told, that errata may affect that student-athlete's scholarship!!