Dead ball strike-out vs hit batsman

[UMP 64]

Summer game last night. College teams.

Count 3-2, pitch is thrown. Batter "starts" to swing at pitch, moves hands 6" - 8" beginning to swing. Stops short of swinging "strike", did not "offer" cross plate, break wrist or any of the typical things we look for in a check swing. He did not get that far.
Pitched ball hits his hands, PU calls "Dead Ball", hit batter, go to first. Def. coach asks why it was not a dead ball strike. PU says he did not swing at the pitch, he held back. PU asked me (base ump) if he went? I went to PU and said (being in "C") I didn't think that he went far enough to be a strike, but his hands & bat did move early in the swing/pitch.
PU ended up awarding batter 1st, saying the batter did not "strike", held back on the pitch.
Comments?