dropped 3rd strike

[eagle_12]

Had this happen in a game last week wanted to run it by here.

NCAA fall ball, I'm BU (2-man), R2, two outs, 1-2 count. Pitch is low, catcher turns glove to catch/block, ball short hops (from my angle), batter half swings.

PU doesn't give a "Yes he did" or a "swing" with a point, just give a lazy hammer in the background with no verbal mechanic.

Offensive dugouts starts yelling run run run, for dropped 3rd strike, Catcher rolls ball back to mound.

Chaos for 10 seconds, B/R standing on first, R2 nevers moves, infielders starting to clear the field.

At this point I was confused as to what my partner was calling, I had swing and dropped 3rd. We call "TIME" just to stop anything if theres anything

We get together, he says he has a swing, I ask if he saw the ball hit the dirt, he responds that he did not see if it did or not, he was unsure. I tell him that I saw it short hop the mitt. I then asked if he said anything such as "out" or "catch", he responds no.

So we treated it as a live ball dropped 3rd, kept runners where they were and played on.

Correct? Suggestions for the future to remedy this other then better plate mechanics with a 2-part swing/catch/no-catch mechanic

I felt as the BU I could not offer anything right away such as the open/closed hand. I feel as though that is saying that I have a "swing" on the half-swing and if they came to me I have to say that he went, especically if anyone on the coaching staff are in tune with those mechanics.