Has Anyone Seen This Before?

[RetiredCoach]

Because of my very many years of involvement with softball, I am always amazed when I see something new. Last weekend I was watching a Varsity game in which the big Home Run hitter was hit by a pitch. The pitcher, with excellent control to that point, threw what appeared to be a CU that hit the dirt a few feet in front of the batter and bounced and hit her. Accident? Probably not because the exact same thing happened in the home run hitter's next at bat. Has anyone seen this? Is this even legal, assuming that it was on purpose?

 

[corlay]

Pretty hard to prove it was on-purpose.
So, yes - legal.

 

[JAD]

Who would intentionally hit a batter with a change-up that bounces first? It would be easier to intentionally walk her with four pitchouts.

 

[RichK]

Why wouldn't the big home run hitter just get out of the way of the changeup so she could get her swings in?

 

[MNDad]

I've seen DD hit several girls where it looked suspiciously intentional, but never with a change up. I’d worry about a bad bounce and runners advancing even if you miss the batter.

 

[RetiredCoach]

Who would intentionally hit a batter with a change-up that bounces first? It would be easier to intentionally walk her with four pitchouts.

Perhaps this is why?

http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u31/rndhad/Miggy/5vwy36.gif

 

[canyonjoe]

If our best pitcher misses a spot it's usually on a change up and when she hits a batter it's 80 percent on bounced change ups. She is not intentionally doing this.

 

[BobInMadison]

Bounced change ups hurt less than direct fastballs

 

[RetiredCoach]

Bounced change ups hurt less than direct fastballs

That's what I took it to be. It wasn't malicious. They didn't want to hurt the girl. They just didn't want to pitch out 4 times with runners on base.