Shoestring catch

[jmkupka]

More anecdote than question...

R1 on 1B, no out.
Liner to shallow right-center, F8 charging, catches it at ankle-level.
R1, off with the hit, is doubled-off by 60ft (standing on 2b, not sure if the call was "catch")
Obviously (to me, not the 1B coach) bad baserunning, bad base coaching, whatever. Coach was pissed we didn't verbally make the catch call.
Mechanics-wise, I simply opened up a little from B-position, PU never saw my back, we both had an obvious (albeit shoestring) catch.
And the play was in front of the baserunner.

Question:
Again, bad baserunning, but are we (in this case, PU) responsible to clearly communicate to baserunner the status of a grey-area ball (i.e. verbally)?
AFAIC, my verbal catch (or "touch") calls are for the benefit of my partner to time a tag-up.