BOUNCED PITCH
QUESTION: In high school, baseball and softball, pitch bounces on ground in front of plate; batter swings and nicks the pitch which goes directly to catcher’s mitt and is caught. Is this a foul tip or foul ball?
ANSWERQUESTION: Runner on second base; no outs; batter swings and misses at breaking ball pitch which strikes batter’s foot in flight. Pitch then bounces off batter’s foot and goes into dugout. Live/dead ball? Is runner awarded (2, 1 or 0 bases)?
ANSWER: Strike is called on the swing; ball is then declared dead due to contacting batter’s foot. No bases are awarded in this dead ball play. If it was the third strike, batter would be declared out. (BB- Rule 5, Sec. 1, Art. 1a; Rule 7-2-1b) (SB- Rule 5-1-1 a, b; Rule 7-2-1 b, g).