Yet another dropped third question

[Fastpitch Mom]

I my DD's game last night.
Catcher drops the ball scrambels to get it and throws it back to the pitcher. Batter just stands in the batters box for about 20 seconds, coach is calling the girl to first the whole time, batter finally runs to first. Pitcher throw the ball to first, batter is called safe.

 

[PEPPERS]

The first question is did the ball beat the batter to first base? If so I don’t know why the runner was called safe.

My daughter has a nasty drop and the HS catcher could not handle it, the coach kept calling for the pitch on the third strike. She had as many as 6 batters get on per game due to drop third strike.

She expressed her frustration to me many times on this happening to her, of course it happens now and then, but the HS team had way too many.

 

[Fastpitch Mom]

Runner was called safe because the throw was late.

My take is the runner was out when the umpire called her out and she did not move/try to run to first. Then when the ball was thrown back to the pitcher it no longer was a live ball, the play was over, except for the batter going to the dug out.

 

[Comp]

Runner was called safe because the throw was late.

My take is the runner was out when the umpire called her out and she did not move/try to run to first. Then when the ball was thrown back to the pitcher it no longer was a live ball, the play was over, except for the batter going to the dug out.

Umpires signal for strike and out are both raised closed fist. The plate umpire was signaling strike, not out. Batter is not out until she sets foot in the dugout, or the defense tags her with the ball or 1st base. Until then, the batter has every right to attempt to advance to 1st base.