Being Pitched Inside and getting hit multiple times lately

[mjf692004]

My daughter is playing 12u ball and is hitting off the charts this season.

She hasn't been hit by a ball all season up until the last 4 games.

So, for the last 4 games, she has been hit multiple times per game.

During her game this week, she was of course again hit multiple times by a pitcher who is known for pinpoint control.
One of them near her head. If this pitch was a foot higher it would have hit her square int he back of the head.
It hit her between the shoulder blades as she had no place to go as the ball was so inside.

Against this team the 2 weeks before, facing the same pitcher she went 4 for 4, a triple, 2 doubles and a single with a win. This past game, she went 0-1, 2 HBP, Walk and a foul tip out.

The pitcher pitched outside to the rest of the team and did not hit any other players.

So obliviously, pitchers are trying to get her out by pitching inside and hopefully nothing intentional. I know at this age the girls' don't have the best control and pitching inside seems too risky.

She does stand a little closer to the plate than normal batter, but nothing too excessive.

When my daughter gets hit, she doesn't put up a fuss or anything and just takes her base.
Her coach has said nothing at all too.

Shouldn't the umpire have given a warning after the 2nd HBP!

If this continues, at what point does my daughter or coach need to protect herself at least verbally.

Should I bring this up to the coach?

I have a feeling that my daughter won't bring it up because she doesn't want to cause problems.

Any opinions would be great.

Thanks in advance.
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[ScottyDont]

At 12U, I doubt the umpire would consider a warning to the pitcher, even after a second HBP. 12U pitchers can have control issues. If opposing coaches are seeing something in your daughter's stance or swing that would lead them to try and pitch her inside, young pitchers are prone to missing too far inside, with predictable results.

I wouldn't read too much into it, honestly.

 

[marriard]

Batters are going to get hit. Buy your evo shields and wear them if you are worried this might become an injury problem.

Your DD and her coach are handling it appropriately. Take your base, and say nothing - because unless it is clearly intentional there is nothing to say. And until something intentional happens there is nothing she should say or her coach should say. There is nothing you should say either. Part of the game.

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Good hitters are going to get noticed, and coaches are going to pay attention to what they like. I can tell you exactly how I want to pitch to the best probably 40-50 girls on other teams we face (at the moment anyway). If someone crowds the plate and struggles with the inside pitch I guarantee that is exactly what kind of pitches she is going to get. Hard and under the hands seems like a good starting place for a batter like that.

My DD got hit ALL the time last season - but lately she has been smacking the inside pitch so that has gone down recently. People notice - right now they are trying her out with outside change ups so she is walking more.

And nope, the umpires are not going to say anything unless it is intentional and that is going to be massively rare - so rare the last time I saw it was 4 years ago in a college game. 2 HPB in a game is not unusual for 12U and there is no rule that says they should. If a pitcher hits 3 or 4 in a row I hope their coach has the sense to take them out - but it is not required.

 

[ConorMacleod]

Last weekend we faced a batter than had toes right up against plate (batters box line was rubbed out already). I asked the Umpire to back her up, but he would not. So we pitched inside right under her hands. Strike out, weak ground out. I was ok with a walk if it happened. I wouldn't have wanted my pitcher to hit her, but I wouldn't have liked a HR to right center on an outside pitch even more. If you're gonna stand on top of the plate, learn to hit the inside pitch, or back up.

 

[KCPRK]

Its a common theme against some teams for my ace pitcher (whose a good hitter) to get hit at least once a game (HBP).

 

[InsidePitch]

first year 14s DD was hit so many times they started calling her Boo-boo. One game she was hit 3 times by the same Pitcher but since she was hardly the picture of a power hitter I wrote it off on bad control. Some kids are just ball magnets and it's possible that being a better hitter your DD is staying in for a longer look and then its to late to bail.

 

[mjf692004]

Thanks Everyone.

I am new to this sort of stuff and new to the forum. I have played HS Baseball and am on a slowpitch tourney team but fastpitch hitting for kids is new to me.

My daughter has been hitting at an unbelievable clip of around .900 with power so far
Her weakness has always been the outer half of the plate and she has probably been getting closer to the plate to compensate.
I don't think

If there are any drills or tips for working on inside pitches would be appreciated too

 

[guero_gordo]

DD stepped into this when her mechanics changed and she started putting her toes in the chalk. It's not unusual for a pitcher to guess that the big strong power hitter may be vulnerable inside, so they will hit her occasionally.

I'm a little confused when you say her weakness is the outside of the plate, yet she doesn't hit the inside pitch all that well, but she's batting .900. Are they throwing her nothing but meatballs over the middle of the plate?

 

[Comp]

There are also rules that say if the batter is in the box, if she gets hit, she goes to first, so many use it as a way to get on base and don't mind it so much.

No rule set states this. Several rule sets have gone to if the ball is entirely within the batters box the batter does not have to attempt to avoid the pitch. Key words here are "entirely within". The ball has to be a good distance inside before it is completely within the batters box. Unfortunately many umpires do not enforce the rule as written and have just treated it as a free pass no matter where the batter is standing, if an attempt to avoid was made or where the ball may have been. ASA and last I knew NSA are 2 rule sets that have not changed and still require an attempt to avoid.

Since this rule was changed in many of the rule sets a few years ago I have noticed a marked increase in the number of batters who really crowd the inside corner of the plate.

 

[mjf692004]

Sorry if I wasn't clear.

Seasons before her weakness was the outside of the plate as she would set up further from the plate.
She is not a big girl...maybe 90 lbs and 4'10" but has very good lower mechanics /upper mechanics can be better.
She can hit with power too and leads the team in 2b and 3b.
So to compensate she has moved in towards the plate to help cover the outside part of the plate and now of course that have been lately pitching her on the inside.

Guess we need to find a middle ground in terms of her batting stance and increase her hand speed.