2 outs - team leaves playing area

[Andy]

Originally Posted by NY Softball

If there were runners on base, I think the defensive team might have reacted differently because they would have noticed the runners advancing...

This is the situation I had in a JV game a few weeks ago. I am working solo, there is one out, we are in the middle of one of those loooooong innings where the defense can do nothing right. Bases loaded, batter hits a ground ball to F4, F4 fields the ball and throws to first to retire B/R for out #2. Defense leaves the field. Third base coach knows that is only the second out and tells her runners to keep moving around the bases. Meanwhile, I am observing, making sure that all bases are properly touched and no runner passes another, etc.

About the time the last runner was halfway between third and home, the defense figured out something was up. One of the players looked at me and asked how many outs there were. I informed her there were two outs. Defense returned to the field, new batter came up, the game continued.