Playing with 8 and ITB

[reccer]

ASA rules friendly tournament

I was not there, but a fellow coach had this situation. Home team is playing with 8, and B8 strikes out to end the regulation time limit with a tie score.

ITB rules are start with bases loaded and 2 outs. Since the home team's scheduled batter is the vacant 9 hole, the blues recorded an out. So, home team did not bat in their bottom half of ITB.

Next ITB inning, blues put B7 and B8 at third and second respectively, and left first open, and had B1 at the plate. Visiting team lost their complaint that the vacant first base should be recorded as an out since b9 slot was empty.

Do any of you have any rules guidance/experience when faced with ITB and the empty batting slot?