Another Rule Interpretation

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We were in a 3-2 ball game with the home team losing and at bat. Batter with a 1-2 count makes an attempt at a ball that the umpire deems a bunt attempt, calls strike 3 (because she offered), batter out end of game. Coach of home team is upset (maybe rightfully :-?) because he states that the batter is dragging or slapping and therefore not truly placing a bunt.

This call went in our favor but I would be interested knowing how an umpire defines a bunt offer or the drag. Is the bunt no longer a bunt if the batter is moving towards 1st or does there have to be a distinct swinging motion of the bat? By the way the batter was a lefty if it matters.

 

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Same thing happened in our game at Beavercreek. Two outs, girl has two strikes on her. She starts in the back of box and runs to the front of the box and takes a half-swing-drag-bunt type hack at the ball. She swings the bat but never comes fully around. Ump calls her out for attempted bunt. End of game. We won, but I wasn't even sure about the call. Their coach wasn't happy but he handled it with class. It's all what the umpire thinks he/she saw.

 

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Any time you have a slapper/dragger up and she extends the bat in the strike zone, it's an offer at the ball and it's going to be a called strike. If you watch the college slappers, they will start their motion forward but if the ball is not in the strike zone they will not extend their bats out in an offered attempt. From the description you both give it sounds like a bunt attempt for a slapper. When the bat extends out in the zone, you leave the decision up to the umpire. I feel the umpire called it correctly. Bretman could answer this better than I though.

 

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If you leave the bat in the zone I would call it a strike. If you do not offer or pull back in time I would rule a ball as long as the pitch was not in the strike zone.

 

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Hey Softballman,

I think I was at the game you are refering too. I believe it was a foul ball called strike three due to bunting with two strikes.

Just trying to be helpful!

 

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I had a slap/drag lead-off hitter this year. Several times with two strikes on her she fouled off the potential third strike. Sometimes it was called a bunt attempt and an out. Other times the umpire said that as long as she either broke her wrists during the attempt OR dragged the bat through the strike zone to pull it down the first base line, she was not out. I would accept whatever call was made because it seemed to be a judgement call not rule interpretation problem. Which umpires were right?

 

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Hey Softballman,

I think I was at the game you are refering too. ?I believe it was a foul ball called strike three due to bunting with two strikes.

Just trying to be helpful!

Ice_coach thank you for the assist. I need to quit typing on here when I am at work. ?:-[ The ball was fouled and the umpire did call it a bunt attempt that was fouled off with 2 strikes.