Illlegal Pitch Effect

[UmpireErnie]

Had one in a HS JV game couple years back. Home batting with two outs and runners on 2B and 3B. Ball hit up 3B line. R1 on 3B starts home on contact. F5 fields ball and I signal fair ball. F5 excitedly throws in the general direction of F2 in an ill fated attempt to retire R1. R2 who has advanced from 2B to 3B sees the ball sail over F2s head as R1 scores easily. R2 continues around 3B and heads home. The home crowd goes wild (they haven't had much to cheer about so far so they are pretty amped) as F2 retrieves the ball and throws it about ten feet over F1s head who, to her credit, did try to cover home.

At the end of all of this the BR (who somehow thought this all happened on a foul ball) (Hey, I said it was JV!) who had been standing near home the entire time watching the play picked up her bat and got back in the batter's box. The defense got back in position and F2 stood in the circle with the ball looking at me.

I stood off a good ten feet down third base line and in foul ground. My partner had ended up in a position to make a call at 1B on the BR and he just stood where he ended up. Appearantly we were the only two in the ballpark who realized the play was not over.

And we stood there.

Finally the home coach called out from the dugout "What are we waiting for blue?" I said, loudly enough for both teams to hear "We're waiting for the play to be over." Home coach (obviously confused): "What do you mean?" Me: "Well, coach, the batter hit a fair ball and hasn't reached first or been put out yet." And I continued to stand there.

After about two beats the light bulb went on over the defensive coach's head and he yelled to F1 to throw the ball to 1B. Out. Third out too by the BR failing to reach 1B safely. Home was not too pleased when I had to tell them no runs scored.