This occurred in today's Hawaii vs. ND State game, in the Tuscon regional:
ND State batting in bottom of 2nd. 2 outs, 2 on. R1 at second. R2 at first.
Ground ball directly towards F4. As she's fielding it in the baseline, R2 crashes into her about 10 feet before reaching 2nd base. Both F4 and R2 fall down. Umpire makes the "safe" signal indicating no Int, presumably because in his judgment, the ball reached the fielder before the collision occurred. In the confusion, F6 picks up the loose ball, and tags R2 before she could reach 2nd base. Umpire calls her out. During that time, R1 is racing around and clearly scores BEFORE F6 applied the tag.
Result: Hawaii Coach Coolen argues the non-call and gets tossed. The 3rd out was made at 2B. Players leave the field. But they allowed the run to score because it occured before the 3rd out. Why? The out at 2nd was the 3rd out and was a "force" situation. This should not be a "timing" issue, should it?
College Softball
Non-Interference: Hawaii vs. North Dakota State
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- Fredegar
- Posts: 311
- Joined: Fri Feb 25, 2011 12:32 pm
My more basic question is why wasn't there an interference call? The runner was less than a step away from fielder when she missed the grounder. If she fielded it cleanly, the same collision would have occurred. Shouldn't contact be avoided?
- WarriorFan
- Posts: 17
- Joined: Wed May 02, 2012 9:27 am
WF: I agree with you that a bang-bang play like that should be INT. But it's either a judgment call, or it's a rule that as soon as fielder touches a ground ball, she's fair game for a collision if she's in the baseline. Either way, it's judgment and interpretation, so I disagree that your question is more "basic". The basic question is simply: Since it was a "force", why did the run count?
- Fredegar
- Posts: 311
- Joined: Fri Feb 25, 2011 12:32 pm
Did the runner, R2, touch second base and then come off the bag, subsequently getting tagged out? I'm trying to remember the play. If so, then the force play is off.
"[b] Let no player say, if only i had tried harder"
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ice_67 - Posts: 387
- Joined: Sat Dec 29, 2007 6:31 pm
No ... R2 never touched the bag. Both kids crashed to the ground 10 feet prior to the bag. F6 tagged her as she was trying to scramble forward to it. F6 could have simply stepped on the bag for the out, but because of the confusion, everyone (including all 3 umpires and the Hawaii coaches) must have forgotten it was still a force situation.
- Fredegar
- Posts: 311
- Joined: Fri Feb 25, 2011 12:32 pm
6 posts
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