My daughter is 14 and now plays 18A as starting catcher this season. 115 pounds soaking wet, but has an arm like the Hulk. I am her catching coach as well as the other catcher on the team and I taught her at ball 3 to be prepared for ball four on the next pitch. Runner on third or not. Receive the ball and do not wait for the umps call if they hesitate. Instantly drill it to first base. The first baseman jumps back down the line past the bag a step or two and waits on the runner. The instant they step off the bag, they get tagged no matter what. At this point they are frozen no matter what, because if they turn to second base, they are out because of the tag. The first baseman drills it to pitcher or catcher as soon as she makes the tag, thus holding the runner on third or getting her out at home. We must have got 20 OUT calls just on that play last season alone. It works if everyone involved is paying attention to the count. I don't like giving FREE bases. The next pitch, if they steal, so be it, but a free pass on a walk, forget it.
Defending the walk with runner on 3rd 12U
- Thread starter Rooster98
- Start date
Welcome to Discuss Fastpitch
Your FREE Account is waiting to the Best Softball Community on the Web.
I try to entice the runner on third to actually make a break for home. I call this play "tippytoe" so all know the deal. After ball 4 the catcher gets the ball back to the pitcher immediately. The pitcher then slowly backs up towards the middle of the 1st to 2nd base line, always looking forward though to keep the runner on third in check, but ignoring the B/R. Once the B/R makes a turn and break for second base, the pitcher then makes a sprinting break to cut off that runner going to second...once she does that the runner on 3rd usually goes home as she thinks the pitcher is now ignoring her. Pitcher then fires home to get lead runner out. If runner on third stays put, the pitcher just tags the B/R out.
