Illegal pitch or no pitch.

[chapmaja]

I was working a JV game a couple years ago and had this situation. I am the plate umpire.

The pitcher begins her pitching motion, and as she steps forward she stumbles, as a result of the stumble, she never releases the pitch.

At the same time she is in her pitching motion and would have normally released the pitch, the runner at second is called out by my BU for leaving base before the pitch is released.

We come together and try to determine when she left the base and how it compared with the time the pitch would have been released, had the pitch been released.

We really could not come to a decision so we ruled it no pitch, but did not declare the runner out.

What should the call be.

1) Illegal pitch, because she never released the pitch.

2) No pitch, the runner is out for leaving the base early.

3) The way we handled it. Basically a simultaneous violation by the pitcher and by the runner.