Softball Fair Ball Rule: Runner's Safety on Twisting Ground Balls

Question
The batter hits a ground ball up the first base line.  The ball starts fair, twist and turns foul, then returns to fair territory where the first baseman retrieves the ball very near the base and in fair territory.  Is the batter, now running to first and making it to 1st base prior to the defensive player safe, or is this a foul ball forcing the batter to bat again?

Answer
Brenda:  In the situation you describe, the runner is safe.

For the ball to be foul, a defensive player would have had to touch it during the time it was in foul territory.

Since it wasn't touched, and it came back fair before it reached the first base bag, and was touched, it is a fair ball.

This particular situation, whether it is on the third base line, or first base line, is why coaches teach players to get those slow rollers while they are in foul territory, so they do not have a chance to roll back fair, causing the batter to bat again.  

This is one of the tougher decisions for pitchers, third and first basemen and catchers.

Thank you for the question.  

Yours in baseball/softball,

Rick