What is the final ruling for a batter who hits a ground ball that is ruled fair but touches both foul and fair territory?

In baseball, when a batter hits a ground ball that initially lands in fair territory but also touches a part of foul territory, it is essential to consider how the ball interacts with the field. According to the rules, a ball is considered fair if it touches the ground in fair territory, regardless of whether it subsequently touches foul territory.

In this case, since the ground ball is ruled as fair, it means that it initially touched the fair portion before being influenced by any foul area. The key aspect of this ruling is that the initial contact in fair territory takes precedence. As long as a ball that is hit lands in fair territory at any point, it is classified as a fair ball, and the play continues unless other rules (such as interference or obstruction) come into effect.

The other choices do not align with baseball rules regarding fair and foul balls. For instance, calling the hit a double or an out does not apply, as the fair ruling maintains that the play remains live, and the ball is not deemed dead in this scenario. Therefore, the definitive ruling that recognizes the fair nature of the hit is that it retains the status of a fair ball.