I couldn't believe it

[JRSooner]

In a JV game yesterday, the opposing team's pitcher threw a pitch and the ball bounced once in front of the batter and came up and hit him and the ump didn't count it as an HBP, supposedly because it's a dead ball if it hits the ground before it gets there? Am I wrong or should it have been a HBP and the batter takes his base. The ironic thing was their pitcher still ended up hitting him anyway 2 pitches later.