"Dropped" third strike?

[stl_ump]

OBR

High and inside. BR swings and misses.  Catcher reaches up and gloves it but it pops out of his glove.  Before the ball hits the ground, the batter hits the ball on his back swing and it rolls about 10 ft away from the catcher.

 

Dead ball strike? Play on? Interference?

 

I think it's play on.

 

Thanks

 

[maven]

This is "backswing interference" OBR 6.06(c ). The ball is dead, the strike counts, if it were strike 3 the batter would be out (not eligible to advance on the "drop"). Any other runners attempting to advance would have to return to their TOP base.

 

This type of INT does not in and of itself result in an out.

[BRUMP]

Rule 6.06© Comment:

If a batter strikes at a ball and misses and swings so hard he carries the bat all the way around

and, in the umpire’s judgment, unintentionally hits the catcher or the ball in back of him on the backswing,

it shall be called a strike only (not interference). The ball will be dead, however, and no runner

shall advance on the play.

[stl_ump]

I was thinking this applied only to hittng the catcher on the backswing.  But as we can see from the rule it applies to hitting the ball as well and it's a dead ball strike.

Thanks!