I'm watching the 2A semifinals now, and there was just a weird situation that I don't understand the ruling on. Runners one second and third 1-0 count, 1 down. Lefty pitcher on the mound in the windup (I know, I know).

Runner breaks home for a suicide squeeze, pitcher steps off to throw home, batter stands on home to bunt the ball which goes 10 feet in front of the plate, fair. Catcher is run over who was on the plate.

Ruling is both runners advanced, but batter is given a strike and the AB continues. I'm confused by call in this situation. Any help?

That's what I'm so confused about. Regardless, from my confused head, either it's batter interference on the play at the plate, runner back to third, a balk (why add a strike?), or batter should've been out and runner back to third.

I guess it's possible it was 1-1 count with a balk called, but I'm 98% sure it was 1-0.

If what you describe is correct, they blew multiple parts of the call. No way a strike should be awarded if the pitcher intentionally disengaged from the rubber as he was no longer a pitcher. That's the least of the missed calls.

And the mysterious play looms large as the team that scored won by 1.

The only thing I can figure is that a balk was ruled. There is nothing else that makes any sense. Ump never made a signal other than dead ball after the run had scored. Coach went out and asked blue. Blue huddled with his buddies, came out, talked to coach who still acted confused, and the at bat continued.

Local paper said it was ruled a balk as the pitcher double clutched. Mystery solved.

Your description is garbled, but I'll take a stab at it.

You said the pitcher pitching from the windup. Do you mean he was using a windup on this particular pitch? If so, I can't envision him stepping off the rubber during a windup. That's a balk.

Base runners move up. Pitch never happened. The interference never happened. Dead ball.

Bulldog73 said:

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Local paper said it was ruled a balk as the pitcher double clutched. Mystery solved.

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Yeah, if pitcher was in his motion towards the plate (fully wind up, you said), and stepped off, that was a balk. The whole circus should have ended right there.

In fact, if a right handed pitcher is throwing from a full wind up with a man on third and a righty at bat, I would send that kid if he could run. 9 times outta 10 the pitcher will balk

Why they gave the batter a strike is beyond me.

I think, most likely, there was no strike. The scoreboard operator probably screwed up and awarded one, but that's not official.

Yea. Only way that situation works or is a balk. Very odd overall process though.