How would you call this one?

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This happened tonight in 11-12 year old Pony baseball.
No outs, loaded bases. Dropped 3rd strike. Runner takes off for first, all runners begin to advance, thinking that batter was not yet out. Catcher steps on home plate. R3, advancing towards home doesn't realize batter is already out, and thinks HE is out by force, and heads for visitor's side dug-out, missing home plate by several feet before he crosses it. (Never reaches it). Is he out? (IF so, on what basis, exactly - {abandoning base?}) or do you score the run since there was no appeal? (Catcher stepping on home was NOT appealing, he thought he was getting R3 out at home on a force). Following this, ball was pitched to next batter. Thanks for your input.

[Roger Greene]

Runners at 2nd and third, 2 outs. (R3 out for abandoning his attempt to advance. BR out on strike 3.)

I'm sure PU stated as BR begain to advance to 1st "Batter is out" loud enough for BR and F2 to hear.

If necessary run the offensive coach. If players don't understand the uncaught 3rd strike rule by Pony age, he isn't doing his job anyway.

Roger Greene

[Jerry]

Roger,
Whether the ump yells "batter is out" is irrelevant in the situation you described. The Batter is "Out" on the strikeout. Call R3 out for abandoning his effort to advance; it's also irrelevant if he thought he was out on the force out. He didn't touch home plate to score, and you have no basis for returning him to 3rd base UNLESS you judge that the BR ran to 1st base to confuse the defense; in which case you can call offensive interference and advance all runners one base.
Jerry

[Gee]

I believe the call would depend on how much R3 missed the plate by. I assume that the visitors dugout was on the first base side of the field.

If R3 came reasonably close to the plate when he passed but missed it, you cannot call abandonment. Score the run.

However, if you believe R3 abandoned his efforts BEFORE he passed the plate you could call him out once he reached the dugout, (JEA). G.

[Jerry]

Gee,
The original post mentioned "missed home plate BY SEVERAL FEET" and headed for the Visitors Dugout. I got the impression R3 never crossed or came up to home plate and abandoned his effort thinking he was already out on a force play. I agree if he continued running and actually missed home plate . . . even by "several feet" (if he had awfully big shoes) by somehow stepping around it or over it, you'd probably count the run. But I really don't think that was the scenario. Perhaps the originator can clarify. Also, it really doesn't matter which side of the field the visitors dugout was at.

Jerry

[bluezebra]

"UNLESS you judge that the BR ran to 1st base to confuse the defense; in which case you can call offensive interference and advance all runners one base.
Jerry"

ADVANCE runners on offensive interference? NO WAY!

Bob

[GarthB]

"UNLESS you judge that the BR ran to 1st base to confuse the defense; in which case you can call offensive interference and advance all runners one base."

Huh?

[Jerry]

I must have been daydreaming. You'd have a ton of fun advancing those runners, wouldn't you? Thanks for spanking me.

Jerry

[brandda]

Call R3 out for running out of the base line if you have to, No matter what, he's out.

[Jerry]

Except he wasn't trying to avoid a tag. He can wander away from the basebath otherwise. The "abandoning his attempt to advance" would be a much better call, don't you think?
Jerry

Call the two outs and be done with it. If the runners didn't know the rule before they will now. If the runner had touched home you have scored the run and said the catcher should know the rule, well, so should the offense.