Dead Ball?

[SoftballFan04]

No runners on. Nobody out. Batter swings, contact made with tip of bat (swinging bunt). Ball spins between pitcher and first base. Batter hesitates, then runs towards first. Pitcher scoops up ball. First base ump puts arms up, yells dead ball, repeatedly. Pitcher hesitates with ball in hand, but still throws to first. Batter beats the throw. Home plate ump calls runner safe. Coach for defense calls time and asks to discuss play. Coach has conference with first base ump and home plate ump. First base ump confirms he called dead ball because he believed the ball hit the batter in the box. Home plate ump called the runner safe, and stated that it is his call all the way through the bag. Runner ruled safe.

Is this the correct ruling?

 

[mroby5172]

Dead ball called by base umpire can't be reversed. Strike in the batter.

 

[M & R Davis]

If field ump admits he called dead ball then play is stopped at that point. Strike on the batter and she goes back to the batters box to continue the at bat. That is really basic and hard to think they would have gotten it wrong.

 

[Bullbuck]

My daughter's team had a similar situation in a high school game last year, might have even been a playoff game. But in our case the runner stopped when the base ump called foul ball and she was called out. After an umpire conference, she was still called out. She did everything you teach your players to do - run it out when you make contact until the umpire calls foul ball. She did. He did. And she was still out. It didn't affect the final outcome, but what a head-shaker that was.

 

[daboss]

Power in the wrong hands can be painful to the masses.

 

[SoftballFan04]

Appreciate the responses. Bullbuck may remember this. This was the 2019 Junior League World Series, semifinal game. I was the coach. Umps at every base and one on each baseline in the outfield. We lost 4-3, but not because of that play. Southwest won because they played better that game. That specific play still bothers me to this day because I knew I was absolutely correct, but there was nothing I could possibly do. Oh well.

 

[Bullbuck]

It's hell getting old.

 

[BretMan2]

Wonder why the home plate umpire was calling a runner safe at first base? That’s not his call.

If the base umpire really believes that he saw the ball hit the batter, while in the batter’s box, then his dead ball call is correct. It’s a foul ball, bring the batter back to the plate.