short handed rule, batting out of order
A mens slowpitch softball team starts the game under shorthanded rule with 9 players with a 10th in the lineup in hopes they show. They play a few innings with the 9 players defensively and on offense, they come up to the 10th spot in the lineup, and the 10th player has not shown. So the team with 9 players put the leadoff hitter up after the 9th player in the order batted. He batted and got a hit with two outs. When the next player came to bat and received a pitch, the umpire declared that the previous player should have not have batted because the 10th player was supposed to be an automatic out. Q is the play of the leadoff hitter supposed to be nullified because it is an automatic out for the 10th batter, or is it subject to appeal play before the next pitch as batting out of order. The umpire rules that it is not up to the opposing team to appeal batting out of order, it is automatic. What is correct? Is itsubject to appeal of batting out of order prior to next pitch, or is it automatic to be ruled by the umpire?
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