tagging-up

[Andy]

What Ernie is trying to say is that YOU must know that the reason they are throwing the ball to second, as in your play, is to appeal the runner leaving early on a caught fly ball. If you are confident that the defense is appealing the runner leaving early, then touching the base left early while holding the ball is sufficient to get the out.

On an appeal play, the defense must give the umpire some clue as to what they are doing. The fact that the defense threw the ball to third base first could bring some doubt as to whether they (defense) knew the runner left early. Now, if they are yelling at the third baseman..."Hey, throw it to second" or something like that...that's good enough for me.