Definition

A hit occurs when a batter strikes the baseball into fair territory and reaches base without doing so via an error or a fielder's choice. There are four types of hits in baseball: singles, doubles, triples and home runs. All four are counted equally when deciphering batting average. If a player is thrown out attempting to take an extra base (e.g., turning a single into a double), that still counts as a hit.

Hits come in all varieties. Some can be hard-hit balls or long home runs. Others can be slow bouncers in the infield -- or even bunts -- where the batter reaches first base before the throw. (These are called "infield hits.") Hits are also credited to the batter when the ball takes an awkward bounce that a defender cannot field (provided the scorer rules that the batter didn't reach base with the help of an error).