The Defense Runs them Down

With the bases empty, the batter hits a ball that goes for a base hit, and while the defense is reacting to that, the batter/runner surveys the field in front of them, and thinks “I can make it to the next base.” Off they run! A fielder gets to the ball and tries to make a play by throwing to that base in an attempt to salvage an out on the play.

Getting that out requires a tag, because the runner is not being forced to run to the next base; they’re just being opportunistic. If the tag is applied in the middle of the base path, then there’s little drama involved, but if the tag happens as the runner is sliding into the base, then things can get a little more interesting; the runner can employ certain moves to try to avoid the tag, while even if the fielder misses that tag the first time, if they keep the tag applied and the runner either slides past the base or pops off of it just a little bit, they can be called out¹.

Once the runner tries to stretch the play, a few things can happen: if they nab the batter/runner advancing, then that runner is out, but they still get credit for whatever happened before. That is to say, if a batter gets a single, but is thrown out trying to stretch for a double, they still get a single. If the runner is safe, then they do get credit for that extra base (that is, they turn a single into a double), unless the defense screws up and the official scorer awards an error on the play. If the error is bad enough, the runner might pick themselves up and run for the next base, and the cycle can continue. Occasionally, the defense makes multiple mistakes on the same play, allowing the batter to advance all the way around the bases for what’s referred to as a “little league home run².” The batter gets credit for the initial play (unless that initial play was also an error), withe the additional bases coming on the error(s).