Bunt foul with 2 strikes, running

[bobbrix]

Hi All,

(It's raining, so I have time for another post.)

Team A knows they will not hit pitcher from Team B, so Team A spends the entire night bunting. Most girls are just squaring and doing the 'traditional, basic, standing still' bunt.

However, a couple are running forward and slapping/dragging.

So, I have a batter with 2 strikes and she squares for a basic bunt, but then takes a couple steps towards the pitcher as the pitch is coming and, while holding that basic bunt position, she contacts the ball and it goes foul.

I called her out. Offensive coach shouts "What ???!!!??? She swung!!!!"

I said she didn't swing, so it was a bunt. He said if she runs, it is no longer a bunt with respect to the 2 strike, bunt foul, batter out rule (it is a swing).

I changed my call after conferring with my base ump ... he said if she's running, don't call them out the 'bunt' is foul.

Thanks in advance for any comments/opinions.

Regards,
bobbrix

[Dakota]

If the bat is merely moving forward at the same speed as the body of the batter, it is still a bunt. If the end / barrel of the bat is moving faster than the batter / handle of the bat, it is a swing and not a bunt.

That is why one is called a drag bunt and the other is called a slap. A drag bunt is still a bunt.

[bkbjones]

Amen. I called one out for same thing last Saturday. Offending team thought I was nuts, which I am, but, batter still out for a foul bunt with two strikes.

[CajunNewBlue]

Originally Posted by Dakota

If the bat is merely moving forward at the same speed as the body of the batter, it is still a bunt. If the end / barrel of the bat is moving faster than the batter / handle of the bat, it is a swing and not a bunt.

That is why one is called a drag bunt and the other is called a slap. A drag bunt is still a bunt.

Im pretty sure in the NFHS rulebook they dismissed the "drag" bunt into non-existence... now there is just "bunting" and "slap hitting"