Ball hits bat or bat hits ball

[chapmaja]

Originally Posted by xtremeump

Batter bunts ball straight down, ball comes straight up. Batted drops the bat and the ball and bat meet in the air in fair territory ? The BR is in the batters box. What is the call (all codes) ?

OUT.

This is one of those situations that the batter really doesn't do anything to "deserve" to be called out, but the batter is a victim of "bad luck". It's no different than a batter hitting an absolute screamer right back at the pitcher and the pitcher simply puts the glove up to protect themselves and the ball sticks in the glove for a catch. The batter in that case did not do anything wrong, they were a victim of bad luck (from their POV). Sometimes luck, good or bad, plays a part in the game of softball.

Also sports have calls that have to be made not based on the intent of a player, but the luck of play. A bounce might go one way for one team and another way for another team. Them's the brakes.

[SE Minnestoa Re]

Was working a Division 3 college game this spring. I was on the bases. Runners at first and second. Batter bunts, throws the bat down, which hits the ball. Plate umpire calls dead ball.

Then I see the WTF look in his eyes. He has no idea what to do. I stroll in and ask him what he has. He says dead ball. I say I know that but was the ball fair or foul when the bat hit it. He says fair. I say we have an out and the runners need to return to their original bases.

He agrees and makes the call. Head coach wants to know who made the call as she comes right at me. I said he did when he called dead ball. I said I came in to make sure we got the right call and that the runners were put in the correct position.

She was good with that and the rest of the doubleheader was great.