ASA 7-6-K-2 question
 

Batter receives ball 4 which was in the dirt in front of HP. B/R drops bat in front of home plate immediately and is running to 1st while F2 mishandles the pitch and the ball bounces off her, out in front of the plate and hits the still moving bat. I assume B/R is out ?

Was there an opportunity for F2 to make a play?

Assume no- but also assume B/R heads for 2nd after reaching 1st. If the answer is sometimes it's a dead ball/out, and sometimes it's a live ball, depending on whether other runners not forced are stealing- I can live with that.

Wasnt there an ASA rules clarification on this a couple of years back. Basically its treated the same as a batter inadvertanly interfering with a return throw to the pitcher? If there was no play to be made, it is a dead ball, return runners to the last base occupied if there were any runners.

Rule does not apply in this situation.

8.2.F.5 would be the rule to apply IF the umpire judged the BR discarded the bat in a manner which prevented the defense from making a play on the ball.

Simply dropping the bat would not be a "manner" that would apply in this case.