Fielders choice or hit?

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May 12, 2014
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How should this be scored? I do the book keeping for this team. I scored it as a hit but wanted to double check. I scored it as a hit because the hit pulled the SS towards 3rd in a way she could only go to 2nd. So, in my mind, it wasn’t a choice what to do with the ball..so no fielders choice.

 
Jun 6, 2016
2,714
113
Chicago
The rule is that a fielder's choice is only scored if the scorer believes the fielder had a chance to retire the batter.

I don't know any of the players involved here, but the batter-runner was hustling down the line, and she was somewhere around 25 feet from the base when the SS, from her knees started to throw to second. IMO it would've taken an extraordinary play from the SS to have a shot at her.

Others may disagree with that assessment of the play, but imo, if there's any doubt, I'm scoring it a hit.
 
Nov 18, 2013
2,255
113
Looks like SS trips on a somewhat ordinary play. Could go E6 or base hit depending on your view.
 
May 12, 2014
833
28
The rule is that a fielder's choice is only scored if the scorer believes the fielder had a chance to retire the batter.

I don't know any of the players involved here, but the batter-runner was hustling down the line, and she was somewhere around 25 feet from the base when the SS, from her knees started to throw to second. IMO it would've taken an extraordinary play from the SS to have a shot at her.

Others may disagree with that assessment of the play, but imo, if there's any doubt, I'm scoring it a hit.
Thanks. That’s my thinking as well. “Could she have got her?” I didn’t think she could. But I want to be accurate
 
Jun 8, 2016
16,118
113
Looks like SS trips on a somewhat ordinary play. Could go E6 or base hit depending on your view.
She gets off balance because she is trying to square up the ball with intention of throwing to 2B. A more experienced SS would probably have noticed where the runner was out of the corner of her eye, backhanded the ball and thrown to 1B. Those are the sorts of things (e.g. decision making) you take for granted when watching MLB or HL fastpitch but are difficult to teach...my DD has a play like that (e.g. one where a decision has to be made) it seems at least once a tournament and all you can do is explain to her after the fact what should have been done and hope she remembers 🤷‍♂️

Edit: Decision as to whether to try and get the lead runner there probably is game situation dependent as well.
 
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