DD is a freshman. She attends a HS that is known for their softball program. They have won state multiple times and always have a good team. They had 12 returning juniors and 6 returning seniors. Coach carries 13 on her HS Varsity roster. DD was originally told she would play JV and swing up occasionally to run. As she was getting off the bus at the first game the coach told her to go with varsity - she ran that game and then started varsity LF for the next 7 games. All the upper classman are finally healthy so for the past 3 games DD has only been hitting for the pitcher. Which is FINE! She is the only freshman who bats, and there is only one other freshman who occasionally runs.
So...last night DD's team was up 13-0 against a pretty weak team. DD is on 2nd, runner on 1st. Batter hits a pop-up about 5 feet behind 3rd base - very close to the foul line. DD has a bit of a lead but waits to see if she needs to tag up or run. The LF'er tips the ball in fair territory and it drops in foul forcing DD to run. She was out at 3rd. The coach is pissed. Said DD doesn't know how to run bases. (This is partly true as her coach never worked on base running until she changed teams last year...so she is a little conservative...) Coach yells at her for a good long time before letting her return to the dugout. but in this situation there was no right answer! Even the seniors were reassuring her that she was damned if she ran and damned if she didn't.
So then...next inning. DD was batting in the 2 hole - 1st AB she hit a laser to CF for a hit, 2nd AB she laid down a perfect bunt which scored a run and got her on base. 3rd AB DD was given the squeeze sign (who squeezes when you are up 13 runs anyway???). She steps in the box and the catcher asks for a time out. DD steps out of the box. As she is stepping back in the box the coach yells at her "hit the ball to RF". Pitch comes in and hits dirt about 2 feet in front of the plate. DD was starting to bunt but had not fully committed. Ball gets past the catcher and the runner on 3rd scores anyway. The coach loses her mind. She screams at DD to get her a$$ to the dugout (keep in mind this is MID AT BAT) and she pulls someone else in! Then she proceeds to yell at DD "I put you in the 2 hole because I thought you were a good player...I guess I was wrong". It was unbelievable. The stands were silent, the dugout was silent. The coach just kept yelling at DD. Over a flipping missed squeeze when they were up 13-0.
So...last night DD's team was up 13-0 against a pretty weak team. DD is on 2nd, runner on 1st. Batter hits a pop-up about 5 feet behind 3rd base - very close to the foul line. DD has a bit of a lead but waits to see if she needs to tag up or run. The LF'er tips the ball in fair territory and it drops in foul forcing DD to run. She was out at 3rd. The coach is pissed. Said DD doesn't know how to run bases. (This is partly true as her coach never worked on base running until she changed teams last year...so she is a little conservative...) Coach yells at her for a good long time before letting her return to the dugout. but in this situation there was no right answer! Even the seniors were reassuring her that she was damned if she ran and damned if she didn't.
So then...next inning. DD was batting in the 2 hole - 1st AB she hit a laser to CF for a hit, 2nd AB she laid down a perfect bunt which scored a run and got her on base. 3rd AB DD was given the squeeze sign (who squeezes when you are up 13 runs anyway???). She steps in the box and the catcher asks for a time out. DD steps out of the box. As she is stepping back in the box the coach yells at her "hit the ball to RF". Pitch comes in and hits dirt about 2 feet in front of the plate. DD was starting to bunt but had not fully committed. Ball gets past the catcher and the runner on 3rd scores anyway. The coach loses her mind. She screams at DD to get her a$$ to the dugout (keep in mind this is MID AT BAT) and she pulls someone else in! Then she proceeds to yell at DD "I put you in the 2 hole because I thought you were a good player...I guess I was wrong". It was unbelievable. The stands were silent, the dugout was silent. The coach just kept yelling at DD. Over a flipping missed squeeze when they were up 13-0.