Tough call for me today

[DTQ_Blue]

Tournament game today. Runner on 3rd, 1 out, batter K's but pitch gets by catcher. Runner breaks for home, batter stays in box. Pitcher comes in to cover plate, batter still in box fails to clear the area around the plate as catcher throws to the pitcher. Runner somehow gets thru to the plate, throw from catcher not caught by pitcher and is rolling in infield. Batter still standing in the box.

How would you handle? It happened to me today.

[azbigdawg]

If her presence (after she was put out) Interferes with the defenses ability to make a play..the runner cloast to home is out..in this case, its the girl coming home from 3rd.

[DTQ_Blue]

But wasn't she a batter runner at that point because of the dropped third strike.

[Dakota]

Originally Posted by DTQ_Blue

...Runner somehow gets thru to the plate, ...

Note that a player cannot obstruct her teammate... well, she can, but it is not illegal.

Originally Posted by DTQ_Blue

...batter stays in box. Pitcher comes in to cover plate, batter still in box fails to clear the area around the plate as catcher throws to the pitcher....throw from catcher not caught by pitcher and is rolling in infield. Batter still standing in the box...

The batter failing to clear the area around the plate or still standing in the box during the play is not in and of itself interference. Was the batter the REASON the throw from the catcher was not caught? Did the batter interfere with either the pitcher or the catcher or with the throw? If no to all of those, there was no interference, just a safe runner. Give the benefit of the doubt to the defense, since the batter should not have been there.

[Mountaineer]

I'm not sure that, according to the description of the play, that the runner hindered the defense from making a play. If she caused the pitcher to miss the ball then yes - otherwise she was in her own player's way. Based on what's written, and barring new information, I think I'd have nothing.

[Dakota]

Originally Posted by DTQ_Blue

But wasn't she a batter runner at that point because of the dropped third strike.

IF you rule interference, you have a dead ball, the BR is out, and the runner returns. If you don't, the runner is safe and you still have a live ball, and only 1 out.

[DTQ_Blue]

I ruled interference not because of the missed throw, but because the batter's presence in the box altered the pitcher's path of approach to cover the plate. The pitcher was forced to go more to her left because of the batter's presence in the box (batter was RH). The pitcher's approach to home to get into position to make that play should have been unimpeded.