Defensive Strategy: Walk with a runner on 3B

[CPEM]

We've all seen it: R1 on 3B, and your pitcher walks the batter. Everybody knows what's coming, the batter-runner will not stop on 1B and immediately proceed to 2B. If it draws a throw from F1, then R1 on 3B will attempt to take home and now you have the ball being thrown around the infield and you'll most likely end up with a three-base walk and a run-scored. My DD is a pitcher and has gotten quite good at just looking at the batter-runner without making a move which sometimes gets the BR to stutter step a few times and has drawn a LBR violation from it a few times. But I'm tired of just giving up 2B without a fight, and I don't want to give up the run either.

Something I've thought of is, immediately after the walk, the F2 throws the ball back to the F1, who glances at R1 on 3B, making sure she's headed back to the bag. Then throw the ball to F3 at 1B before the BR gets there. If she rounds to go to 2B, make the tag for the out. If she stops on 1B, then get the ball back to F1. If R1 breaks for home, then F3 throws to F2. My thinking is that the throw from 1B to home is a lot shorter than from 2B to home, and thus R1 may not be as tempted to try it.

Has anyone tried anything else? That worked???

 

[David Carter]

Ask yourself this question.....runner stops at first, next pitch the batter is taking and the runner from first is stealing are you throwing down to second....if your answer is NO, all you are doing is simply delaying the inevitable in hopes of getting one strike ahead of the batter which I guess is a strategy.

what age group.....guess under 16U which is about when this stuff stops...because girls have the arm strength, accuracy and softball smarts to prevent this, the problem is you need all three from all the players involved.

 

[CPEM]

Ask yourself this question.....runner stops at first, next pitch the batter is taking and the runner from first is stealing are you throwing down to second....if your answer is NO, all you are doing is simply delaying the inevitable in hopes of getting one strike ahead of the batter which I guess is a strategy.

what age group.....guess under 16U which is about when this stuff stops...because girls have the arm strength, accuracy and softball smarts to prevent this, the problem is you need all three from all the players involved.

What I'm hoping for is that the BR is not paying attention and rounds 1B and gets tagged for an out, and now I've got one more out and a runner on 3B, where most of the time I would not have an out and runners on 2B and 3B. And if it really works, then we get the tag out at 1B and then R1 decides she might try it and get an additional out at home.

Both of my pitchers are very smart with the ball, my catcher is good, and my 1B has a cannon for an arm. This is 12u.

 

[init4thegirls]

That play really gets on my nerves. I've thought about having 1B cover looking for a throw from the pitcher, this will make the runner take a wider turn. Then have 2B stay around their initial position waiting on a throw from the pitcher if the runner tries to go. If they do it the pitcher throws to 2B. In my mind 2B can tag and throw home but I coach a 10u rec team so that's probably not a reality. We play with a 5 run rule so an out is worth the run in most cases. I haven't tried this yet but I think it could work.

 

[PGSAKen]

1st base can not simply receive the ball and hold it or even hide it. If she does then both runners get a base and she can be ejected.

 

[David Carter]

at 10U I would not even bother you are giving up the runner to 2B next play anyway. It is just as annoying as watching 13 yo boys walk down to 2B every time they get on first but but if pitchers can't hold them and catchers don't have strong enough arms what can you do.

without the runner on third just keep having them work technique and trying to catch the runners stealing eventually the girls will get older and figure things out.

 

[init4thegirls]

DC, I completely understand, I was a 13 yr old catcher once upon a time. Our league is so bad that getting three outs instead of giving up 5 could very well be the difference in the game. Daddies manipulating rules and taking advantage of 9yr olds is the main reason it got that way. I really want to see what happens when they give their special "run to 2nd sign" and doesn't work out like they planned.

 

[iMlearning]

Ask yourself this question.....runner stops at first, next pitch the batter is taking and the runner from first is stealing are you throwing down to second....if your answer is NO, all you are doing is simply delaying the inevitable in hopes of getting one strike ahead of the batter which I guess is a strategy.

what age group.....guess under 16U which is about when this stuff stops...because girls have the arm strength, accuracy and softball smarts to prevent this, the problem is you need all three from all the players involved.

At 14U we were pretty successful at throwing to shortstop creeping in while the batter is taking and the runner on first is going to second. Shortstop to 3rd or catcher when runner takes off for home.

 

[CPEM]

1st base can not simply receive the ball and hold it or even hide it. If she does then both runners get a base and she can be ejected.

Who said anything about holding or hiding the ball? Ideally, I would like the ball getting to F3 at around the same moment the BR is getting to or rounding 1st. If there's a play, make it. If not, get the ball back to the pitcher so that the LBR comes into effect.

 

[Greenmonsters]

Who said anything about holding or hiding the ball? Ideally, I would like the ball getting to F3 at around the same moment the BR is getting to or rounding 1st. If there's a play, make it. If not, get the ball back to the pitcher so that the LBR comes into effect.

And, as soon as F3 returns the ball to F1, the batter/runner, who will have stopped on 1B because F3 had the ball, will start skipping to 2B. Again, unless you can a handle a 1B and 3B situation, throwing the ball to F3 is a delay of the inevitable.