Homerun or Out

Question
The other night at a softball game a girl hit a ball that was clearly over the fence.  The outfielder was running back, jumped up, reached out over the fence to catch the ball.  The fence collapsed and she landed outside of what would have been the field of play.  What is the correct call in this situation?  If the ball left the field of play and the fielder only made the catch outside the field of play, I thought it should have been called a homerun and not an out because her momentum carried her outside the field of play and she did not come down inside the field of play.

Answer
Hi Scott,

Thank you for your question.  A batted ball hit near a collapsible fence presents a big problem for the umpire, especially for the umpire working alone, as the action occurs so far away from home plate, and the view is often terrible, often the least-desirable 90-degree angle to the fence instead of the optimum 0-degree angle along the top of the fence.

ASA answer: I can't give a better answer than ASA 2011's Rule Supplement #20, FALLING OVER THE FENCE ON A CATCH: "...When a player catches a ball in the air and their momentum carries them through or over the fence, the catch is legal, the batter-runner is out, the ball is dead, and with fewer than two outs all runners are advanced one base without liability to be put out.  Guidelines are as follows: A. When a player catches the ball before they touch the ground outside the playing area, the catch is legal...."

Scott Kelly