Third base coach's decision

[itguy]

I've been lurking the forums and thought this would be a good situation to share.

This happened at one of my DD 14u games this past weekend at a tournament. DD team is on the field and ahead by 1 run. Opposition is getting their last licks in. There's 2 outs with runner on 1st and 2nd. Batter get a base hit to left field on a hard hit ground ball through the infield. The ball is deep enough for the lead runner on second to score easily. The left fielder fields the ball cleanly and throws out the trail runner at third before the lead runner can score. Game over. DD's team wins.

I'm trying to think if the 3rd base coach's thought process could or should have been on making sure the lead runner scores?

BTW. I coach my younger DD's 10u rec team. I'm just trying to absorb everything that I see when my older one plays her 14u games and not make the same mistakes with my younger one.

 

[canyonjoe]

It's tough to go 1st to 3rd at 14U on a ball to LF, but not sure how far out ball was. Also did the girl from second slow up to not score? In the end he had to make sure they tied first, but if it wasn't a huge gamble to try for third it's hard to get on the guy. Then you can score on a WP or an infield single and it rattles some pitchers to have winning run on 3rd.

 

[GunnerShotgun]

I would fire the first base coach.

 

[djcarter1966]

Had similar thing happen in a HS playoff game I watched with Batter/Runner running into an out at 2B before the runner she hit in had a chance to cross the plate.

It is hard to teach girls stop if they feel themselves about to be tagged out before the runner crosses home because most of us coach to be aggressive on the base paths unless the defense has really proven otherwise but it is just another one of those small things that separate the real ballplayers from those who simply play the game

 

[itguy]

The ball was fielded by the left fielder only a few steps from where she was playing. It was not too shallow. The girl from second did not seem to slow down but I really can't tell if she started to ease up a little. The girl was tagged out at third by one or two steps. Close, but when looking at the play from my view (1st base side) you could tell if the throw was true then the runner would be out at third. I'm just going to file this away for future reference.

 

[texas4life]

From the details given sound like he got too greedy when he should have kept here on second to be sure you get the tie and still have another shot at bringing the game winning score in with the next batter.

 

[JAD]

This happened at one of my DD 14u games this past weekend at a tournament. DD team is on the field and ahead by 1 run. Opposition is getting their last licks in. There's 2 outs with runner on 1st and 2nd. Batter get a base hit to left field on a hard hit ground ball through the infield. The ball is deep enough for the lead runner on second to score easily. The left fielder fields the ball cleanly and throws out the trail runner at third before the lead runner can score. Game over. DD's team wins.

Not sure why a base runner would try to go 1st to 3rd on a sharply hit ball to LF unless the ball went to the fence and F7 had her back to the infield chasing the ball when R1 rounded 2nd. I have also seen cases where a runner goes 2nd to home on a base hit and slows up before reaching the plate, then the batter gets thrown out trying to take 2nd, and the run does not count.

 

[quincy]

3rd base coach can never make a good decision, it is a thankless job. Whichever AC you like the least, assign this job to them.

 

[canyonjoe]

3rd base coach can never make a good decision, it is a thankless job. Whichever AC you like the least, assign this job to them.

Really, I thought I got promoted to 3rd base. I had one this weekend where a girl hit one to left that went through LF legs. She was sick all weekend but still played and as she reached 3rd the ball was getting to SS (14U) who was a good player so I held her at 3rd. (no outs up 2 runs with 3-4-5 coming up). All I heard the rest of the day (and not in a joking manner was that I took an HR away from kid). I tried to explain that it was a single anyway to no avail. I'm guessing she might have made it 1 out of 3 times. with 3-4-5 up no outs it's more like 19 out of 20. I always remember some advice from someone that just because it doesn't work out doesn't mean it wasn't the right decision.

 

[Little Angels Softball]

The 3B coach needs to own this. He needed to have waved her in and let the first runner completely go long before she even reached third base. Then he needed to instantly transfer his concentration to the runner coming from first, making sure she rounded 2B to at least attempt to draw a throw to 3B from LF, but he should have never sent her. That runner in scoring position needed to be protected, and so did the girl who was scoring the first run.

My instruction would have been to round the base (2B) hard then I would have put the breaks on. You want the LF to throw the ball to 3B with the intent to get someone out because an errant throw might give you 3B after all.

I'll take a tie game with a runner on 2B over a loss any day of the week. One WP, PB or a stolen base can get her third or another hit can score her. Once she's out, nothing scores her. The 3B coach messed up, big time.