In softball pitchers don't have enough time to cover first base like in baseball.
In softball pitchers don't have enough time to cover first base like in baseball.
It happens, not often but it does happen.
https://youtu.be/NDLPjlDeAmk?si=il7D_y0EJ7q6DHVc
I have been following college softball since 1996 and have never seen that done in a college softball game. I talked to someone that has been following longer than me and they have only seen it once. I'm just saying nobody should have expected Clary to cover or even be at the base.
I remember Sam Landry doing it. Don't ask me where or when, but the athletic pitchers can and should do it on a sharply hit grounded that pulls first base away from the bag. Like what happened yesterday.
And now, you've seen it once and your friend has seen it twice via YouTube.
Just have to play together, fast, and smarter but really leaving so many on base killed us. One bad inning and we lost.
It was a college game. But the announcer did say she hadn't seen that before. It's rare, but it does happen.
If Clary had covered first on that play, we may have won the game. They had their leadoff, lefty, so the odds were low if she could have gotten there in time.
So, what happens when the ball is hit where it went last night? Smith was playing deep. We just give up the base hit?
There were two ground balls hit in the hole yesterday in the 7th. The first one got by Roe and Sissy knocked it down, but no play at first. The second went in the hole between first and second. So, Smith should have made no effort to catch it and just stayed at first? Was that the proper play? Maybe so with a runner on first already, but why did Licano look at first before going to second? She should have seen Smith had moved off first in her attempt to play the ball. If she did see her off her base, why look at first? Maybe, she was expecting Clary to cover first.
All I know is that a L that shouldn't have happened. Is it on coaching?
Rick call me. The expectation is Smith stays at first and that Liscano can get to the ball. Liscano looked at first expecting Smith to be at first. Smith has a certain range from 1B that she has to stay in. In my opinion she got out that range. Nobody was expecting Clary to cover 1B.
Different level, so I don’t know if it’s the same at the college level, but as a high school coach I taught the first baseman to only take one hard crossover step to field a ball in the 3-4 hole. If she couldn’t get there they were taught to plant and get back to the bag because the only chance to get an out was for the second baseman to field it. We never worked pitchers covering first.
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