Three crazy plays...

[LIUmp]

14U tourney today...I'll tell you my partner and my calls at the end of the post.

Sitch 1: I'm PU, partner in C. R1 on 2nd, R2 on first. One out. Ball is popped up to F6 just to the third base side of second base bag...about 4 steps from the base. My partner and I both signal for infield fly when the ball reaches apex. R1 is returning to the bag and makes contact with the F6. The ball drops just to the front and third base side of the second base bag.


Sitch 2: Same game, two innings later. R1 on third, R2 on second, R3 on first. F3 and F5 are playing in to protect against the bunt. B4 hits ball between first and second, passes F3 and hits R3 in the back of the leg. The batted ball was headed to the left of F4, but would have been playable.

Sitch 3: Next game. I'm PU, partner is in B. R1 on first, no outs. B2 hits a pop up toward the first base bag. R1 came off the base, but then returns seeing that F3 will most likely catch the ball. On the way back to the base, R1 runs into F3, and then F3 continues another step and catches the pop up.





Sitch 1: After signaling and calling infield fly, my partner yelled dead ball and called R1 out for interference. We also rule that R1 interfered with F6 attempt at catching the fair fly ball (infield fly), and ruled the batter was out as well. Inning over.


Sitch 2: I called this play, as I was looking for whether the runner interfered with F4's opportunity at fielding the batted ball. Since the ball had already passed F3, I was looking to make sure that F4 could make a play, and therefore the runner interfered with the fielder's opportunity to make that play. Dead ball, R3 is out. All runners return to the last base occupied at the time of the INT, and B4 gets first base.


Sitch 3: Partner shouts dead ball, I mirror his call. We determine R1 out for interference. We also ruled that because R1 interfered with F3's opportunity to catch fair fly ball, the batter was also ruled out.


Questions:

Who's call is it in each sitch? Were we right in our calls in each sitch?


*side note, my partner had make three bang bang calls on the bases, all against one team (for which he was correct, but I digress...). On the fourth, there was R1 on third and after the pitch, F2 tried a pickoff attempt of R1 at third. She made it back to the base, and my partner called, "safe". The bench, and coaches go crazy..."how could you call that you missed it...that is a terrible call...."etc. At which point the catcher throws her arms up in the air in a "you gotta be kidding me" motion. As the Pu, I turned to the bench and said..

Coaches, that's a warning. My partner made the call, and that is that. Because you guys are questioning and acting in this way, your catcher is now showing unsportsmanlike behavior. Enough.

Did I handle that correctly? What would you have done? (14U PONY National Qualifier Tourney - semifinal game, 4th inning... not that it matters much, but I wanted to set you up with some background)

Thanks!