Another WCWS Call: Runner Hit by Batted Ball

[BretMan]

Sorry I can't remember the other team (if somebody can point me to the brakets on-line, I can figure it out). Hawaiii versus (?), Saturday night, the game where Hawaii was eliminated.

Bottom of seventh, Hawaii trailing 7-9. They have a runner on first base.

Batter hits a hard grounder just to the right of F3, who is playing in front of the bag. F3 lunges to her right and makes a desperate stab at the ball as it passes her. The ball passes her about two feet from her outstretched glove.

R1 is off the bag, passing behind the fielder. The ball hops and hits the runner in the foot. U1 immediately comes up with a strong dead ball signal, points at R1 and calls her out.

The ball was definitely past the fielder. From what I could see, there was no other fielder behind the runner who could make a play. This one sent me to the NCAA rule book, thinking that maybe they have some different interpretation regarding a runner hit by a batted ball that's "past the fielder". Apparently, they don't.

Did anyone else see this? Was there something I missed? Why was this runner called out?

As usual, the talking heads offered no insight, other than to spew some garbage about a runner being out whenever the ball hits her and to offer the sage advice that "runners need to keep their eye on the ball".