Defending the Bunt with a Runner on Third

I was looking for some input on how others defend a bunt with a runner on third base at the high school/16u/18u levels. Let's assume the other team has a tendency to bunt in this situation and have the runner at third not break for home until the fielder throws to first. My dilemma would be a decent runner on third base and a bunter who can run as well. Would it be best to predetermine a strategy before the play. Examples would be:

1. Just take the out at first (An out is more valuable then a run at this point of the game)
2. Pump to first hoping to start a run down at 3rd
3. If it ends up being a suicide/safety squeeze come home

I think looking the runner at third back may take up too much time resulting in the hitter being safe at first.

Thoughts?

A couple of things:

1) the catcher sees the whole play in front of her and should be instructing the fielder which base to go to with the throw. If she sees the runner too far off the bag, the fielder can look to 3rd to get the lead runner. If not, go to 1st. SS should be covering 3rd to keep the baserunner from taking too big of a lead if the throw goes to 1st and she can easily break home. I think the placement of the bunt is important as well. If the pitcher has to field it, you may come home since it might be a close play at 1st anyways. There are a lot of factors that go into the decision.

2) before the play, some teams will call out a play if they are coming home or want to get the out at 1st;

3) the pump fake can be effective with inexperienced baserunners but at the high school level is less effective

Actually, the pump fake can be more effective at the high school level than you think - but you have to sell it. When my youngest daughter was a freshman, they were doing a freshman/varsity scrimmage. She was pitching for the V to the freshmen, and the V pitcher was pitching to the V for the freshmen.

The V pitcher, a junior who went on to play at a second-tier D1 school, got on base and made her way around to third. My daughter pitches and gets a comebacker. She checks the runner at third, fakes the throw to first and catches the V pitcher attempting to score. Out by a mile. The rest of the V team was pretty impressed that a freshman could pull that off. But it was something we'd worked on in travel ball for a few years.

There's another alternative that is more likely to work than the pump fake, though, especially when the smart runner is looking for the throw. This is a called play so no one is surprised. On the bunt, have the first baseman come about halfway up the line. The fielder picks up the bunt, checks the runner (to sell it) and makes the throw to the 1B. If the runner was down the line and waiting to break on the throw you're almost guaranteed of catching her in a rundown if not a tag play.

I agree with rt1 here. This is where a loud vocal leader at C is important. She tells the 3rd baseman where to go.
However the quality of the bunt is important too. If it really dies in no man's land and was hidden well by the batter in the drag, then your screwed. But if this is a play the other team is known for, I'd have 3rd baseman playing up ready and crashing, then look the runner back to 3 before throwing to 1. At this age, if the runner goes on the throw, she'd better be 2.5 sec. runner, otherwise she's toast

Ken Krause said:

There's another alternative that is more likely to work than the pump fake, though, especially when the smart runner is looking for the throw. This is a called play so no one is surprised. On the bunt, have the first baseman come about halfway up the line. The fielder picks up the bunt, checks the runner (to sell it) and makes the throw to the 1B. If the runner was down the line and waiting to break on the throw you're almost guaranteed of catching her in a rundown if not a tag play.

Click to expand...

While in theory this sounds reasonable, in a real game situation I don't see this as a high% play. First of all, for this play to work the bunt has to go to 3rd base crashing or catcher (if if goes to the pitcher she is too close to the 1B who is half way down the line to make a strong throw to her or if the bunt is down the 1st base line, 1B has to field it, no deception. Secondly, why would you "look back" the runner if the goal is to get her in a rundown or tag her out at the plate? It's a deception play to get the runner off the 3rd base bag, you look her back and she freezes and/or starts back to 3rd base She is not now going to break home as the fielder throws it to the 1B halfway down the line. Now you have runners at 1st & 3rd without an out. Not ideal.

I know my daughter loves to pump fake it along with first base jumping high acting like it is a wild throw. I say 7/10 it works and then throws to catcher for the out. Then a lot of times a good base runner will turn 1 and go for 2....aaannnnddd then you got a chance at a double play.