Situation: What would you do?

[ang4yanks]

Mr. Charlie, that's funny...
It's 1:15 a.m.
I am riveted watching UVA vs. UNC baseball game
6-5, 10th inning, UNC hits homerun to score tying run
6-6, 11th inning, 2 outs
UVA RUNNERS ON 1ST AND THIRD
WILD PITCH, go ahead run scores from third
Runner moves to second
Pitcher is shaken*
Very next pitch, base hit
UVA (visitors) leads 8-6
Bottom of the 11th for UNC
Walk, Base Hit, 0 out
9th batter bunts and moves runners
Tying run at second,
Basehit, bases loaded.
Run scores
8-7, 2 outs
Bases still loaded
Tying run at 3rd
F-8
Game over

It's 1:45 a.m., I need more help than you

Ang

 

[DanC]

I am with Charlie on the defensive end as the runner on 3rd is of no consequence. Shoot down the runner trying to take second and the game is over.

As far as what to do on Offense, that is gonna depend on a couple of things. Number one in my mind is how confident do I feel in my current hitter and the one on deck as well. What have they done up until this point and how have they looked doing it?

It is my fault that I did not test the catcher earlier in the game. You have to find that out asap if you have not scouted the opposing catcher. Too many coaches wait until it is too late and then have to find out the hard way.
I would not want to be in that situation and would have to go by intuition I suppose.

 

[Ken Krause]

Love it.

First, what I believe you meant to say is if "home" throws the ball away (not "visitor") on the attempt... or is this one of those brain teasers, Ken )


Ang

Visitors are in the field, home team is batting in the bottom of the inning. So it would be the visitors who throw the ball away. So I should've said home has runners at first and third. Sorry.

 

[Ken Krause]

Since the question was asked, in the actual game the runner on first did not attempt a steal, so the defense had no decisions to enact. The final hitter struck out to end the game.

For me, it would really be a tough call. On the one hand on offense I'd really be itching to get that runner to second, and would assume the defense would worry about the runner at third. Which would be a mistake as Charlie points out because she means nothing. On the other hand, outs are the clock in softball (unless you're playing a time limit game, which this wasn't). If I guess wrong and the defense does the right thing by throwing down -- and they execute it properly -- I just took my team out of the game. Been there, done that, with more runs to make up.

Ultimately, I'd probably stay conservative, with the hopes that one good hit brings in a run, puts another runner on third, and has the pitcher and defense panicking. But it's a tough call.

 

[Mr. Charlie]

I thought I posted this already but I'll try again. Maybe Ken pulled it on me

I was just wondering what some of the folks that have already commented would do if the situation was home team up to bat in the last inning, runner on 1st only (no runner on 3rd), two outs, the runner tries to steal 2nd, and you are on defense with a one run lead. Would you try to throw her out or would you exercise defensive indifference and allow the runner to take 2nd uncontested.

Just a side item, a similar situation occurred in my daughters varsity hs regional game a couple of nights ago. The only difference was the score was tied and we were home team. The runner on 1st is arguably the fasted kid in the conference, the opponent threw down, and she got thrown out at second. Huge momentum shift and on to extra innings. We lost in the first extra frame.

 

[ang4yanks]

Ken,

So many variables. Monday morning quarterbacking is fun and engaging because we can give our input with nothing on the line. There are the considerations of history with the batter; what the pitcher is throwing; trust in the runner on first (can she slide well), e

I enjoyed the different approaches that everyone had to share.

Thanks,

Ang

 

[ergodave]

Slow steal

My standard strategy is to have the runner at 1B do a very slow steal (basically walk to second) and if a throw is made they get in a run down long enough for the runner at 3B to score. Most of the time I find that no throw is made to 2B, but with two outs, there is a higher chance that the catcher will throw through to try and throw the runner out.

 

[FastpitchUSA]

Sending the runner

There are three types of coaches in this situation...

Those that make it happen
Those that watch it happen &
Those that wonder "what happened?"

If the game has not yielded any success at getting runs across,
I say push the defense to make a decision on the first & third situation.

On the other hand, if I am on defense, and first base is now open I try to get batter 7 to swing at pitches out of the strike zone. Worst case is we walk the batter and put forces all around and take my chances with number 8. Off speed pitches down and in to get a ground ball to third so an out can be made without a throw.

 

[StacieM]

Ken,
That's no where near as interesting as the scenarios discussed here. LOL

And I guess I answered this from a perspective of having a catcher who didn't throw a heck of a lot of people out at 2, thus the "need" to have other options in play just in case she doesn't get the best throw off. ;P

Like some of you, I'm often posting here late at night when everything else is done for the day and my whole family is sleeping.

 

[Mr. Charlie]

I love it when a plan comes together.

Well, this situation presented itself to us last weekend in a tournament.

We were home team with a two run lead in the top of the last inning. There was nobody out and the other team had runners on 1st and 3rd. I clearly announced to everyone on the field that if the runner on 1st tried to steal that we were to try to throw her out and just let the runner on third score. Two pitches later the girl on 1st takes off for second and we throw down. When we throw down the runner on third takes off for home and scores and the other team is all excited, until the girl trying to steal second is called out and they then realize they have just screwed themselves. We're still up by one and they have one out and nobody on. Two batters later the game is over.